Overview
- U.S. District Judge Myong Joun granted a preliminary injunction on June 5 that stops the USDA from withholding federal grants unless states certify compliance with a set of administration policies.
- The lawsuit was filed by 20 Democratic state attorneys general and the District of Columbia, who say the USDA lacked authority and that the rule was too vague to require states to follow unrelated policies on immigration and transgender issues.
- Plaintiffs warned the certification could jeopardize more than $74 billion in annual USDA grants and programs that feed about 39 million people, including SNAP, school lunches, and WIC.
- The federal government argued the rule would strengthen oversight and the stewardship of taxpayer dollars, and the USDA and Justice Department plan to continue defending the policy in court.
- Judge Joun said he will issue a written memorandum explaining the decision and the injunction is temporary while the case proceeds; similar federal courts have recently blocked other attempts to tie grant money to unrelated policy compliance.