Judge Mary S. McElroy, who has twice blocked President Donald Trump’s efforts to freeze EPA, Energy Department, and other grants, has a history of Democrat activism.
On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Mary McElroy issued an injunction against the Trump administration, ruling in favor of environmental groups who claim the president unlawfully froze grants for projects that combat alleged “climate change, reduce pollution, and modernize American infrastructure.”
“Agencies do not have unlimited authority to further a President’s agenda, nor do they have unfettered power to hamstring in perpetuity two statutes passed by Congress during the previous administration,” McElroy ruled.
The Trump administration has said that the administration has the right to pause funding for awarded grants to redirect the funds to more suitable projects, and that the Rhode Island judge lacked jurisdiction to hear the case.
The Justice Department had also claimed that it has a stronger position after the Supreme Court ruled that the Trump administration could cancel millions of dollars in teacher training grants as part of its crackdown on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.