Press Release from Public Rights Project
For Immediate Release: May 19, 2025
Media Contact: Grace Kair, gracek@chatham-strategies.com
CHARLESTON, S.C. — Today, a federal court ordered the Trump administration to reinstate federal funding for critical community programs across the country. The permanent injunction will restore most of the grants represented by Public Rights Project and Southern Environmental Law Center’s (SELC) lawsuit challenging the federal funding freeze. It’s one of the first final judgments in a case challenging the administration's actions.
The Trump administration conceded that canceling grant funding through executive orders violated the Administrative Procedure Act. “This ruling echoes what cities and local governments have said all along: the unlawful termination of congressionally approved funds caused real harm to communities. We are proud to represent them every step of the way to ensure they can restore vital programs and continue building a stronger, more equitable future for all," said Public Rights Project's Founder and CEO, Jill Habig.
"This is a huge victory for these organizations who can now get back to work improving their communities. While defendants have announced their intent to appeal this ruling, SELC is committed to continuing this fight all the way to the Supreme Court until all the grants represented in our case are restored once and for all,” said SELC Litigation Director Kym Meyer.
In March, Public Rights Project and SELC filed suit to challenge the unlawful funding freeze on behalf of 13 nonprofits and six cities forced to furlough employees and pause programs aimed at supporting residents, farmers and critical public health efforts.
“In recent months, Baltimoreans have felt the pain of haphazard, illegal cuts at the federal level — cuts to programs funded by Congress, under the Constitution, that the people of Baltimore rely on. We are proud to stand beside national, state and local partners to defend these programs and the rule of law,” said Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott.
"Today’s decision is great news for San Diego," said San Diego City Attorney Heather Ferbert. "Our communities shouldn’t have to worry about promised investments being taken away. This decision helps protect critical work already underway to bring cleaner air, more shade and real environmental benefits to neighborhoods that need them."
“As a coastal city, New Haven is committed to tackling the challenge of climate change head on and building a greener, healthier and more resilient city for our residents,” New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker said. “The $31 million in U.S. Environmental Protection Agency grants that the City of New Haven has been awarded and obligated by the federal government are critical to advancing these efforts. Now with the U.S. District Court’s decision, we expect the Trump administration to respect and adhere to the judge’s ruling and provide unobstructed access to these funds so that we can move forward with these important local projects and initiatives.
"Contrary to President Trump’s executive orders and actions, the way we ‘Unleash American Energy’ is by leveraging our country’s own renewable resources, including solar, wind and geothermal. It’s better for our pocketbooks, our environment and our national security, and we are encouraged that this ruling will allow New Haven and other cities and nonprofits across the nation to do exactly that.”
Monday’s ruling did not immediately extend to six grants represented in our case that were terminated by USDA’s Climate Smart Agriculture program. But the court indicated that Public Rights Project and SELC would be able to continue to pursue these grants before the court, including taking testimony from the administration so that the court could consider the claims with the fuller record. Both organizations feel confident that the evidence will reveal the determination of these grants was also illegal.
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About Public Rights Project
As a nonpartisan nonprofit organization, Public Rights Project helps local government officials fight for civil rights. We do this by building their capacity to protect and advance civil rights, convening and connecting them on issues of civil rights, and providing legal representation to governments to help them win in court on behalf of their residents. Since our founding, we’ve built a network of over 1,300 partners, including elected officials and 227 government offices across all 50 states, and helped recover over $46 million in relief for marginalized people. www.publicrightsproject.org
About the Southern Environmental Law Center
The Southern Environmental Law Center is one of the nation’s most powerful defenders of the environment, rooted in the South. With a long track record, SELC takes on the toughest environmental challenges in court, in government, and in our communities to protect our region’s air, water, climate, wildlife, lands, and people. Nonprofit and nonpartisan, the organization has a staff of 200, including more than 130 legal and policy experts, and is headquartered in Charlottesville, Va., with offices in Asheville, Atlanta, Birmingham, Chapel Hill, Charleston, Nashville, Richmond, and Washington, D.C. selc.org
