Federal judge temporarily blocks public health cuts to NY and other states

A federal judge in Rhode Island has temporarily blocked the Trump administration from canceling billions of dollars in federal health grants to states, including more than $360 million to New York.

Judge Mary McElroy on Thursday ordered a 14-day stay, in response to a lawsuit challenging the cuts brought by a coalition of 23 states, including New York and New Jersey, as well as the District of Columbia.

Ruling from the bench, McElroy said of the coalition’s “likelihood of success on the merits is extremely strong,” the Providence Journal and others reported.

There was no immediate comment from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the defendant in the case. The Trump administration has argued that the grants were for COVID-related services that are no longer needed because the pandemic is no longer a concern.

The ruling leaves in limbo public health programs and jobs tied to the funding in New York while the litigation proceeds.

The states argued HHS didn’t have the power to abruptly terminate more than $11 billion in health grants that had been approved by Congress, and that the move would cause serious harm to public health.

A lawyer for the Trump administration said at a hearing on the case Thursday that the Department of Justice did not have time to review the thousands of pages of documents that had been filed and requested more time to respond, according to the New York Times.

But McElroy, in issuing her order, cited the plaintiffs’ “extremely strong” likelihood of winning the lawsuit, the “voluminous” record before her, and the allegations of irreparable harm.

The cuts would amount to more than $360 million in New York and threaten disease surveillance efforts as well as substance use and mental health services, according to Gov. Kathy Hochul.

On Thursday morning, before McElroy’s ruling, the state Department of Health said it had laid off 50 employees and was ending a public health fellowship program early as a result of the cuts. The 168 fellows were told their last day would be May 30, even though the program was supposed to run through July 2026.

Hochul has said that no state has the ability to backfill these cuts. But some lawmakers and advocates are pressing the governor to include a contingency fund in the state budget for organizations that are affected.

The budget, which was due April 1, is still being finalized.