Judge Amir Ali barred the Trump administration from conditioning local counterterrorism funds on election-administration changes. DHS had announced it would withhold 20% of related grant funding until governments adopted measures favored by the administration.
Counties and cities in Texas, Ohio and Tennessee sued, arguing that tying the funds to election changes exceeded the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s authority. Ali sided with the local governments.
The ruling is the latest setback for Trump’s effort to expand federal authority over elections ahead of the Nov. 3 midterms. Republicans are seeking to retain slim majorities in both chambers of Congress.
