A new court ruling calls on the Trump administration to restore hundreds of millions of dollars in AmeriCorps grant funding, along with thousands of workers.
The move comes after about two dozen states, including Maine, sued over the withholding of AmeriCorps grants under President Trump’s federal cost-cutting efforts.
The cuts were handled through the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
U.S. District Judge Deborah L. Boardman granted a temporary block on AmeriCorps’ cancellation of grants and early termination of its members, but the decision only covers the states that sued the administration in April.
Maine has more than 200 AmeriCorps service members, with most working in Volunteer Maine, which receives $2.5 million in funding.
“We are grateful for the court’s affirmation of the importance of AmeriCorps programming and the finding that irreparable harm was done,” said Brittany Gleixner-Hayat, Executive Director of Volunteer Maine.
The administration is expected to expected to appeal the judge’s decision, and the underlying lawsuit from the states will continue.
Also, Judge Boardman still is allowing AmeriCorps to continue its reduction in force, denying the states’ request to restore the majority of staff that were put on administrative leave in April.
AmeriCorps was created in 1993 as a national service that provides funding to volunteers who work or various local, state and national challenges.
The lawsuit was filed by attorneys general in Maryland, Delaware, California, Colorado, Arizona, Connecticut, Washington, DC, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
