Twenty-four states and Washington D.C. sued President Trump’s administration Monday for freezing $6.8 billion in education funding approved by Congress.
The money supports after-school programs, summer camps, teacher training, English classes for immigrants, and help for migrant farmworkers’ children. States expected the funds by July 1, but the Education Department froze them on June 30, citing an “ongoing programmatic review” and claiming some grants funded a “radical leftwing agenda” like LGBTQ+ inclusion.
The lawsuit, filed in Rhode Island, argues this violates the Constitution and spending laws.
1.4 million kids face program closures
The freeze threatens 1.4 million children who attend free after-school and summer programs at places like Boys & Girls Clubs and YMCAs.
In Rhode Island, 8-year-old Aiden Cazares loves his Boys & Girls Club summer camp, where he learns math and science while getting meals.
His single mother Darleen Reyes can’t afford $220/week for fall childcare and may pull her 14-year-old from sports to babysit.
Without funding, 926 Boys & Girls Clubs could close in 3-5 weeks, along with Save the Children’s 41 rural sites. Nurse Fernande Berard fears losing care for her three boys: “I honestly don’t know what I would do”.
Surprisingly, 91 of the top 100 affected school districts are in Republican-led areas, including Florida, Georgia, and West Virginia.
Georgia’s Republican schools chief Richard Woods urged Trump: “Release funds already approved… we’re getting ready to start the school year” . Even conservative groups like the Thomas B. Fordham Institute expect most grants will pass review . The nonpartisan Boys & Girls Club, praised in a bipartisan House resolution, serves military families and emphasizes basics like math and respect, not politics.
States call the freeze “illegal and unjustified,” causing chaos as schools prepare for August openings.
New York alone risks losing after-school care for 65,000 students and literacy programs for 80,000 adults. California Attorney General Rob Bonta accused Trump of “risking the academic success of a generation”.
The lawsuit demands immediate funding under the Impoundment Control Act, which bars presidents from blocking congressionally approved money. While Democratic states sued, Republican-led districts could benefit if they win.