The restraining order, along with a similar directive by another judge from Friday, amounted to a rebuke of the move as an overreach that likely lacked legitimate authority.

The Trump administration likely violated federal law with a controversial directive that aimed to pause spending on potentially trillions of dollars of grants and loans to a vast array of recipients across the country,

A U.S. federal judge on Monday extended a temporary block on the Trump administration's spending freeze. Why it matters: District Judge Loren AliKhan expressed concern in her order that the Trump administration was still enforcing the spending freeze despite the temporary restraining order.

The order came in response to a memo released by the Office of Management and Budget last week directing agencies to freeze funding for federal grants and other programs.

The federal government fell into chaos Tuesday as officials braced for potential interruptions to programs that range from protecting food safety to responding to natural disasters.

A federal judge on Monday ordered the Trump administration to temporarily stop its freeze on federal assistance, allowing aid to continue flowing to nonprofit organizations and other entities after the funding was targeted by the White House budget office last week.

Environmental nonprofits and researchers that receive US government support were thrown into confusion by President Donald Trump’s blanket funding freeze. Even as some money starts flowing again, the administration’s promise to cut off funds for “the green new deal” and environmental justice looms.

Two judges have ordered the Trump administration to lift a freeze on spending, including at the Environmental Protection Agency. But nonprofits and states still can’t get money for contracts that are