In a significant rebuff to the Trump Administration's recent AmeriCorps funding conditions, U.S. District Court Judge Edward M. Chen has issued a Preliminary Injunction Order. This move effectively halts the administration's efforts to tie funding to the adoption of specific policy preferences, including executive orders seen as targeting DEI programs, LGBTQ+ communities, and environmental initiatives. According to a statement released by San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu, the court’s decision came as a relief to communities reliant on these pivotal funds.
The case against the administration was arguend by City Attorney Chiu, representing the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) and joined by the City of Santa Fe. They initiated legal action after AmeriCorps, a federal agency with a history of supporting disadvantaged communities through grants for volunteer service programs, issued a directive mandating compliance with Trump's executive orders. As Chiu remarked, “President Trump has again demonstrated his disregard for our kids and seniors by illegally threatening to terminate funding unless we submit to his ideology."
AmeriCorps grants have traditionally supported an array of public service programs, from initiatives aiding the poor and vulnerable to those improving community cohesion through diverse volunteer teams. The imposition of the new grant conditions questioned the legality of these established and Congress-endorsed programs, which is a contradiction to the directive received by SFUSD in their grant application process. AmeriCorps itself had emphasized the importance of grantees demonstrating their "commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility."
The legal challenge to the administration’s conditions argued that the new requisites violated the Spending Clause of the Constitution and the Administrative Procedure Act. Plaintiffs contended that the conditions presented them with an untenable choice: accept funding constraints that undermine the efficacy of their programs or face financial hardships that could lead to program cancellations and layoffs. U.S. District Court Judge Chen had previously granted a Temporary Restraining Order, halting enforcement of the directive, a decision that remains unchanged with the issuance of the Preliminary Injunction. "Because there are no substantive changes to the factual record, the Court's findings from the TRO remain unchanged. Defendants' arguments to the contrary are unpersuasive,” the Court's order read.
The Preliminary Injunction Order now shields current grants and upcoming renewals from the imposition of the new conditions, providing a degree of security to programs dependent on AmeriCorps funding. This legal victory, albeit interim, ensures that service initiatives in San Francisco and Santa Fe can continue without conceding to the contentious constraints spurred by the current administration.
