BURSTA federal judge on Wednesday blocked the Trump administration from canceling the American Bar Association’s (ABA) federal grants.
The professional group filed a lawsuit alleging officials at the Department of Justice (DOJ) struck funding for services to victims of domestic and sexual violence in retaliation for joining a separate lawsuit against the Trump administration.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche also prohibited DOJ attorneys from participating in events sponsored by the ABA on official time, according to court filings.
The decision was made after the ABA issued a statement condemning the administration's questioning of the legitimacy of courts and judicial review.
“The government does not meaningfully contest the merits of the ABA’s First Amendment retaliation claim. It points to no deficiencies in the ABA’s performance of its grant obligations,” Judge Christopher Cooper, an Obama appointee, wrote in the Wednesday order.
“It concedes that similar grants administered by other organizations remain in place. It agrees that bringing a lawsuit is protected by the First Amendment. And it suggests no other cause for the cancellation apart from the sentiments expressed by Deputy Attorney General Blanche in his memorandum,” he added.
In addition to the ABA, two Supreme Court justices have condemned judicial interference on a broader basis.
Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson and Sonia Sotomayor have urged lawyers to remain steadfast in the face of “attacks.”
On Wednesday, Cooper wrote that the First Amendment is a “concrete” and “ongoing” protection upheld in the United States.
The DOJ did not immediately respond to The Hill's request for comment.