* Background from earlier today…

Five Democratic-led states are suing the Trump administration for freezing their share of federal food, housing and child care assistance dollars, saying officials failed to justify the sweeping actions that could strip billions in aid from needy families.

New York, along with California, Colorado, Illinois and Minnesota, asked for a temporary restraining order that would allow them to continue receiving the funds, in a lawsuit filed Thursday evening with the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.

The states argued that the Administration for Children and Families, which is within the Department of Health and Human Services, provided no evidence of fraud and acted illegally by enacting sanctions within the three welfare programs without following processes laid out by law. The administration wrote to the states earlier this week that the freeze was necessary to prevent “potential” fraud but didn’t detail what it meant, according to letters viewed by The Washington Post.

* US District Judge Arun Subramanian issued a temporary restraining order this evening. Press release…

Attorney General Kwame Raoul today secured a temporary restraining order from the U.S. District Court for Southern District of New York, blocking the Trump administration’s illegal attempt to freeze $10 billion in federal funding that provides critical support for children and families.

Attorney General Raoul, along with the attorneys general of California, Colorado, Minnesota and New York, filed a lawsuit yesterday challenging the administration’s illegal action and sought a court order to immediately stop the freeze and make sure families continue to receive the aid they need.

“I’m pleased with the court’s decision, which protects critical funding to support families and help working parents access child care,” Raoul said. “There is no justification for this attempted funding freeze. It is a cruel and illegal attempt by the Trump administration to play politics with the lives of children and low-income families. I remain committed to protecting Illinois residents from bearing the brunt of this president’s continued disregard for our Constitution and the rule of law.”

The administration’s action threatens about $1 billion in federal funding for Illinois, going to Illinois families and service providers. These funds give low-income families access to child care, allowing members of those families to work or go to school. Additionally, the funds provide access to after-school and summer programming, which also supports children’s growth and allows parents to work. In Illinois, approximately 150,000 children receive child care supported by these funds. The funding is also used to provide temporary cash assistance to families in need and fund programs that help families achieve or maintain economic self-sufficiency, and that address neglect, abuse or exploitation of children and vulnerable adults.

In their lawsuit, Raoul and the attorneys general assert that even a temporary disruption to the funding would have devastating consequences for families, the economy and their states. The attorneys general argue that the freeze is an unlawful overreach of executive power that violates the Administrative Procedure Act and the Spending Clause of the U.S. Constitution.

* The Tribune…

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday evening, but department General Counsel Mike Stuart wrote in a post on X Thursday evening, before the temporary restraining order was issued, that the department stood by its decision to restrict the funds, saying it “identified serious concerns in these states that warranted immediate review and action.”

“It’s unfortunate that these Attorney Generals from these Democrat-led states are less focused on reducing fraud and more focused on partisan political stunts,” Stuart wrote of the lawsuit. […]

The federal government said in letters sent to the state of Illinois that it “has reason to believe that the State of Illinois is illicitly providing illegal aliens” with benefits meant for American citizens and lawful residents.

Gov. JB Pritzker’s office, however, has said that the federal government has not provided the state with details or information about any alleged fraud.

* The Sun-Times…

A spokesperson for IDHS said the agency does not anticipate an immediate impact to funding as a result of the judge’s order.

When announcing the freeze, HHS Assistant Secretary Alex Adams said the federal government is concerned by potential “systemic fraud in Illinois Child Care and Development Fund services.” He claimed the Trump administration “has reason to believe” the state is “illicitly providing” CCDF benefits to people without legal status in the U.S.

In their lawsuit, Raoul and the other attorneys general called the fraud allegations, “pretextual, vague, and unsubstantiated.”