A federal judge in Virginia halted the Trump administration's $1.8 billion "anti-weaponization" fund on Friday, rejecting arguments that the program had already been terminated.
Judge Leonie Brinkema of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia ruled from the bench that the administration's claims of the fund's demise were insufficient to lift her existing block. The fund, part of Trump's effort to investigate what he characterizes as weaponization of federal agencies, cannot proceed without further court action.
The administration had apparently claimed the program no longer existed or faced other obstacles that would make Brinkema's injunction moot. Brinkema disagreed. She found that argument unpersuasive and maintained her prohibition on the fund moving forward.
The "anti-weaponization" initiative reflects Trump's longstanding claim that the Justice Department and other federal agencies have been weaponized against him and his allies. The $1.8 billion allocation represented a substantial commitment to investigating alleged partisan misconduct within government.
Legal challenges to the fund have centered on concerns about how the money would be spent and whether such an effort violates appropriations law or constitutional limits on executive power. The block, now extended, prevents the administration from using the funds regardless of how officials characterize the program's status.
This ruling complicates the Trump administration's plans to reshape federal enforcement priorities. Judges in various courts have constrained several Trump administration actions through injunctions, forcing administration lawyers to return to court repeatedly to argue for relief or modification of orders.
The case remains active. Brinkema's decision Friday keeps the status quo in place, with the fund effectively frozen pending further litigation or a successful appeal. The administration will need to either secure a reversal from a higher court or persuade Judge Brinkema to reconsider her injunction through new arguments or changed circumstances