Order follows similar ruling in separate lawsuit. A Washington, D.C. federal judge on Monday extended a temporary restraining order preventing the Trump administration from carrying out a plan to temporarily freeze funds across the federal government, warning that the funding pause could have “catastrophic” impacts on people across the country. She note that a review of the programs that should or should not receive federal dollars "could be conducted without depriving millions of Americans access to vital resources.".

She ordered the Trump administration to demonstrate by Friday how it has complied with her earlier order to halt the freeze. A coalition of nonprofit groups, businesses, and advocates represented by the group Democracy Forward challenged the Trump scheme, arguing that even after the White House said last week it was rescinding a memo about the plan from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), they were still struggling to access funds.

Alikhan noted in her ruling: "By rescinding the [OMB] memorandum that announced the freeze, but not . . . the federal funding freeze; itself, it appears that OMB sought to overcome a judicially imposed obstacle without actually ceasing the challenged conduct.The court can think of few things more disingenuous.”. Judge AliKhan also argued that granting the Trump administration “unbounded power” over congressionally apportioned funds meant running “roughshod” over the separation of powers defined in the Constitution.

Her decision extends a similar ruling from AliKhan last month. And it runs along similar lines to a decision Friday in a separate suit in Rhode Island federal court from 22 states and the District of Columbia, where a judge held the White House can’t freeze funds in those jurisdictions. In court, the Justice Department had argued that since the OMB memo was rescinded, and the Rhode Island ruling was in effect, further blocks were not necessary, and that Trump administration executive orders authorized the White House freeze.

The Independent has contacted the White House and OMB for comment. Since its inception, the funding freeze has been marked with confusion. Last week, facing widespread criticism and alarm, the White House said it was rescinding an OMB memo about the freeze, while seeming to suggest the freeze itself would continue, despite the court order blocking the freeze. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt late emphasized of the decision last Wednesday: “This is NOT a rescission of the federal funding freeze. It is simply a rescission of the OMB memo ... The president's EOs [executive orders] on federal funding remain in full force and effect, and will be rigorously implemented.”.