A federal judge on Monday ruled that the National Institutes of Health’s attempt to cancel grants with perceived connections to diversity, equity, and inclusion programs was discriminatory and ordered the grants be reissued, Axios reported.
Shortly after taking office, President Donald Trump's administration moved to terminate over $1.8 billion in grants, including over $440 million in funds that were already allocated but had yet to be spent, many of which were referred to as "DEI expenditures" in the White House budget proposal.
U.S. District Judge William Young, who was appointed by Republican President Ronald Reagan, ruled on Monday during a nonjury trial that the NIH’s decision to rescind over $1 billion in research grants was in violation of federal law and ordered that the grants be reinstated.
"I am hesitant to draw this conclusion, but I have an unflinching obligation to draw it, that this represents racial discrimination and discrimination against America's LGBTQ community," Young said during a court hearing on Monday. "Any discrimination by our government is so wrong that it requires the court to enjoin it and at an appropriate time, I'm going to do it.”
He added that he had "never seen a record where racial discrimination was so palpable” in his 40 years as a judge, saying the Trump administration is "bearing down on people of color because of their color. The Constitution will not permit that."
The Department of Health and Human Services and the NIH did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.