Federal Judge Rules Trump's Cancellation of $100M+ in Humanities Grants Unconstitutional

U.S. District Judge Colleen McMahon ruled that the Trump administration's cancellation of over $100 million in humanities grants was unconstitutional and unlawful. The judge found that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk, had no statutory authority to terminate the funding for more than 1,400 awards previously approved by Congress. McMahon's 143-page decision stated the terminations violated the First Amendment and the equal protection component of the Fifth Amendment. The ruling specifically addressed DOGE's use of artificial intelligence to cancel grants based on ideological keywords like 'diversity, equity and inclusion.' Judge McMahon permanently barred the administration from ending the grants and ordered their reinstatement. The ruling sided with The Authors Guild, American Council of Learned Societies, American Historical Association, and Modern Language Association of America, who challenged the January 2026 grant cancellations.

"The termination of grants by the Department of Government and Efficiency (DOGE) violated the First Amendment, the equal protection component of the Fifth Amendment, and lacked statutory authority." — From Judge Colleen McMahon's 143-page ruling permanently barring the Trump administration from canceling the National Endowment for the Humanities grants