Topline
President Donald Trump has paused his $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund, the Justice Department confirmed Monday—at least temporarily—though while the DOJ cast blame on a recent court ruling for the fund ceasing operations, reports suggest the Trump administration is instead backing down amid GOP criticism of the settlement.
Key Facts
The DOJ said Monday it will “abide by” a recent court ruling that temporarily blocked the $1.776 billion fund, which was created as part of Trump’s settlement with the IRS and allows people who feel they’ve had the judiciary system “weaponized” against them to seek a payout.
The announcement followed reports by multiple outlets that the Trump administration planned to kill the fund or restrict it, with Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., saying Monday lawmakers were in discussions with the White House about making changes to the settlement.
While the Trump administration blamed the court ruling for its decision to halt the fund, the court did not issue a ruling that would have made that necessary, as it instead blocked the fund from moving forward temporarily in order to allow court briefs to be filed, but did not make any determination that the fund was unlawful or should be blocked long-term.
Instead, reports suggest the Trump administration intended to back down from the fund amid widespread criticism from GOP lawmakers about the policy, which had stopped congressional leaders from bringing an immigration enforcement bill up for a vote.
Democrats have said they plan to add amendments to the immigration enforcement bill—which would direct some $70 billion to immigration enforcement agencies—that would either limit the “anti-weaponization” fund or get rid of it entirely, and at least some GOP senators were expected to vote in favor of those amendments.
It’s unclear whether the White House intends to only keep the $1.8 billion fund on hold until a court allows it to move forward—which could happen within weeks—or more broadly plans to nix the fund entirely, and the White House only responded with a link to the DOJ’s post on X on Monday when approached for comment.
What To Watch For
It’s unclear how long the $1.8 billion fund could stay on hold. The court order that blocked it keeps the fund on pause through at least June 12, when a hearing is scheduled for whether it should move forward, but it remains to be seen how the Trump administration will respond if the court reinstates it. It’s still possible the Trump administration will try to revive the controversial settlement, as an anonymous administration official told Axios on Monday only that the fund was “dead for now.”
What Did The Court Rule?
Judge Leonie M. Brinkema ruled Friday to temporarily bar the Trump administration from taking any further action regarding the fund, including transferring money to it, considering any claims for relief, and giving out any money through the fund. She did not offer any reasoning behind her decision, and did not make any judgment on whether or not the fund was lawful, only halting it so the parties in the lawsuit can file arguments on why it should or should not be paused for a longer period of time as litigation against it moves forward.
What Have Democrats Said?
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., vowed in a letter to his Democratic colleagues Monday to wage a campaign to kill the $1.8 billion fund. “This week, Senate Democrats will launch a coordinated effort to kill the slush fund before one cent goes out the door,” Schumer wrote, adding Democrats will “force” their GOP colleagues to vote on the issue. Republicans voting on the fund would force them to publicly state they support or oppose it, which could be a liability ahead of the midterms. “Democrats are forcing Republicans to make one simple choice: kill the slush fund or own it,” Schumer wrote.
