A judge in the U.S. has temporarily a part of the Trump administration’s plan to freeze all federal aid, a policy that caused worry for charity workers and teachers. But the White House officials said it wasn’t as big a deal as it seemed.
Judge Loren L. AliKhan’s order has prevented the administration from suspending funding for “open awards”—federal grants that have already been allocated—until at least 5 p.m. ET on Monday, February 3.
Loren L. AliKhan, the U.S. District Judge, termed the halt a way to “preserve the status quo” while she looks into the legal action taken by a group of charities.
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During the proceedings, she questioned a Justice Department attorney about which programs the funding freeze would affect, saying, “The government doesn’t know the full scope of the programs that are going to be subject to the pause.” She’s likely to mull over putting a more lasting block on the rule when the next week kicks off.
Who is U.S. District Judge Loren L. AliKhan?
Judge Loren L. AliKhan, the daughter of Pakistani immigrants, was appointed to the U.S. District Court in December 2023. Born in Baltimore, Maryland, she earned her B.A., summa cum laude, from Bard College at Simon’s Rock in 2003 and her J.D., magna cum laude, from Georgetown University Law Center in 2006.
Before she got the district court job, AliKhan served as an associate judge on the District of Columbia Court of Appeals from 2022 to 2023 and as the solicitor general of the District of Columbia from 2018 to 2022. She was appointed to both judicial positions by then-President Joe Biden.
