A Monday evening memo issued to federal agencies by the White House’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB) instructed the freezing of “all activities related to the obligation or disbursement of all Federal financial assistance… to the extent permissible under current law.” The freeze was intended to give agencies time to ensure compliance with the Executive Orders (EO) issued by President Trump -including the EO issued on January 20 regarding an elimination of funding targeting programs or offices that support diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA). While it is consistent that a new Administration evaluates existing funding agreements to ensure the alignment of priorities, it is unprecedented to halt federal funding in that process. This move resulted in some federal agencies closing funding portals, caused confusion about whether existing federal contracts would be honored, and created a general sense of panic among stakeholders that receive federal funds. By midday Tuesday, a federal judge had issued a ‘stay’ on enforcement of the memo, and by the end of the day, OMB had rescinded the memo itself. However, the underlying directive to evaluate all current funding and ensure its alignment with Executive Orders is still active as agencies evaluate and report to OMB the details of current federal funding obligations.
Administration Rescinds Access to Education Services for Undocumented Children
In a sharp departure from previous federal guidelines, the Administration has announced its intention to roll back eligibility for domestic assistance programs for children and families who are undocumented. Specific to education and citing Executive Order...
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