As a federal judge temporarily blocks part of the Trump administration’s pausing of federal grants and loans, a slew of advocacy groups, charities, foreign aid, and public health programs are decrying a potential upending of American lives on an unprecedented scale.
Hundreds of programs across the US were placed under review, according to a document released by the Office of Management and Budget and obtained by CNN. The White House later issued a memo appearing to greatly limit the scope of the federal assistance freeze, targeting executive orders addressing immigration, foreign aid, climate and energy, DEI initiatives, and gender identity and abortion.
However, the freeze has left organizations and government agencies on the local, state, and federal levels in flux. Some nonprofit groups, including the National Council of Nonprofits, filed a lawsuit in federal court in Washington, DC, on Tuesday.
The Trump administration’s freeze has also caused a mix of reactions, with some groups saying it could result in devastating impacts, such as pausing research on cures for childhood cancer, halting food assistance, and closing suicide hotlines. Other groups, such as the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities, have called the administration’s move “unnecessary and damaging,” saying it would “sideline” American scientists.
Universities across the country are scrambling to figure out how the funding freeze could affect their research programs, students, and faculty. Researchers at Gallaudet University in Washington, DC, have been told to stop work on grant-funded projects, while scientists at the National Science Foundation have paused all grant review panels this week.
Meals on Wheels programs, which rely on federal grants and serve over two million senior citizens annually, may be severely impacted, with some providers unable to access funding and potentially leading to millions of vulnerable seniors losing access to meals. Local providers are already experiencing uncertainty, with some having to decide whether to serve millions of seniors or not.
The funding freeze is also affecting foreign aid, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio adding more exemptions to humanitarian programs that would otherwise be cut. The move has caused confusion among the humanitarian community, with many organizations at risk of layoffs and program shutdowns.
The uncertainty has already led to catastrophic implications for those in Gaza and Ukraine, with one humanitarian official predicting that thousands could die if the suspension continues for two more weeks. The freeze could also lead to a huge number of organizations closing permanently, as they are no longer receiving funding to keep their employees.
As the situation continues to develop, experts and officials are speaking out against the potential long-term impacts of the funding freeze.