U.S. District Court Judge Colleen McMahon ruled Thursday that the Department of Government Efficiency illegally canceled roughly $100 million in grants previously approved by Congress for the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH).
In a 143-page decision, 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 identify grants that the agency believed were linked to diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. The administration had sought to eliminate such programs throughout the federal government in 2025.
The NEH was among 16 small agencies marked for elimination in President Donald Trump's May 2026 budget proposal. The DOGE effort, led by Elon Musk, had already begun reducing expenditures from these agencies.
McMahon wrote that the termination of the challenged NEH grants was unlawful because it violated the First Amendment and the equal protection component of the Fifth Amendment, as well as lacking 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 awarded to research institutions, scholars, and humanities organizations.
Because Congress did not grant DOGE the authority to identify or direct the termination of these grants, McMahon permanently enjoined the government from terminating all grants referenced in the lawsuit or using the rejected arguments to cut others.
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 necessary staff and programs.
Sarah Weicksel, executive director of the American Historical Association, described the ruling as a significant achievement in restoring the mission assigned to the NEH by Congress. She noted that the humanities provide essential tools for the future through library programs, scholarship, and history exhibitions.
