Source: New York Post
A federal judge in California has dealt a major setback to the Trump administration’s effort to tie billions of dollars in federal grants to its crackdown on diversity, equity and inclusion programs, ruling the White House exceeded its authority by imposing the new conditions on cities and counties on the West Coast. US District Judge William Orrick on Thursday granted a preliminary injunction barring the Departments of Homeland Security, Justice and the Interior from enforcing the challenged “anti-DEI” grant conditions against 11 local governments, writing the restrictions likely violate both the Constitution and the Administrative Procedure Act. “What defendants seek to do likely violates the Constitution (separation of powers and Spending Clause) and the Administrative Procedures Act,” Orrick wrote in the 68-page order.