A U.S. District Court judge ruled Thursday that the Department of Government Efficiency illegally canceled roughly $100 million in grants that Congress had authorized the National Endowment for the Humanities to award.
In a 143-page decision, Judge Colleen McMahon stated that DOGE and the Trump administration possessed no constitutional authority to block, amend, subvert, or delay spending appropriations based on the president's policy preferences.
The grant revocations were conducted by DOGE using ChatGPT to target awards that were identified as related to diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. The administration had sought to rapidly eliminate such programs across the federal government in 2025.
The National Endowment for the Humanities was among 16 small agencies marked for elimination in President Donald Trump's 2026 budget proposal. The DOGE effort, led by Elon Musk, had begun reducing expenditures from these agencies.
Judge McMahon wrote that the termination of the challenged grants was unlawful due to violations of the First Amendment, the equal protection component of the Fifth Amendment, and a lack of statutory authority.
The lawsuit was filed by the American Council of Learned Societies, the American Historical Association, and the Modern Language Association of America. The legal action followed DOGE's decision to cut more than 1,400 grants previously awarded to research institutions, scholars, and humanities organizations.
Because Congress did not grant DOGE the authority to direct the termination of these grants, McMahon issued a permanent injunction. This prevents the government from terminating the grants referenced in the lawsuit or using the rejected arguments to cut other grants.
Representatives for the three suing organizations expressed support for the ruling and stated they intend to pursue the full restoration of all NEH grants, including the agency's staff and programs.
Sarah Weicksel, executive director of the American Historical Association, called the ruling an important achievement in restoring the mission Congress gave to the NEH. She noted that the humanities provide essential tools for the future through scholarship, exhibitions, and library programs.
