The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) improperly withheld grants from states, in violation of a court ruling, a federal judge said on April 4.
“FEMA’s manual review process violates the Court’s preliminary injunction order,” U.S. District Judge John McConnell Jr. wrote in a 15-page decision.
FEMA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
McConnell on Jan. 31 entered a temporary restraining order that blocked FEMA and other federal agencies from pausing or canceling grants to 23 states and Washington. The order blocked compliance with an Office of Management and Budget memorandum directing officials to freeze funds.
The judge said at the time that the Executive Branch’s suspension of federal assistance to states and others cited no legal authority and that “no federal law would authorize the Executive’s unilateral action.”…