A federal judge in California has temporarily halted the Trump administration’s efforts to restrict federal grant funding for programs that promote diversity, equity, inclusion (DEI), and transgender rights.
U.S. District Judge Jon Tigar called the Trump administration’s move a likely violation of constitutional protections on June 9. He issued an injunction against recent executive orders that would have barred federal funding to organizations unless they complied with the federal push to remove DEI content.
The executive orders also ordered organizations to refrain from acknowledging transgender identities.
“These funding restrictions reflect an effort to censor constitutionally protected speech and services promoting DEI and recognizing the existence of transgender individuals,” Tigar wrote in his decision. The federal government ,he added, “cannot weaponize Congressionally appropriated funds to single out protected communities for disfavored treatment or suppress ideas that it does not like or has deemed dangerous.”
The lawsuit was brought to light by several LGBTQ+ organizations and health centers, notably the San Francisco AIDS Foundation and the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Historical Society.
According to the lawsuit, the groups argued that complying with the Trump administration’s directives would prevent them from carrying out their core missions. Tigar agreed.
As reported by NBC News, the San Francisco AIDS Foundation previously received a five-year, $1.3 million grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to expand sexual health services in marginalized communities. In April, the CDC directed the organization to “immediately terminate all programs, personnel, activities, or contracts” that related to DEI or gender ideology.
The decision led to the lawsuit.
Tigar has taken a legal stance against the slew of signed executive orders put out by President Donald Trump, many of which are aimed at removing protections for transgender individuals and eliminating DEI initiatives from federal agencies and organizations.
Lawyers representing the government have argued that the administration is within its rights to leverage federal funding in pursuit of its policy goals, as opposed to Tigar’s hesitations.
Tigar’s injunction currently protects the affected organizations and allows them to continue their work without federal interference.
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