(WJAR) — A federal judge in Rhode Island has reaffirmed his ruling to halt the funding freeze implemented by the Trump administration. This decision, made by U.S. District Court Judge John McConnell, follows a recent dismissal by the First Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston, which declined to overturn McConnell’s temporary restraining order (TRO) that the Trump administration had challenged.

Over 20 state attorneys general, led by Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha, initiated a lawsuit against the Trump administration in January to stop a sweeping funding freeze affecting numerous programs across the country.

Initially, Judge McConnell issued a temporary restraining order to put the funding freeze on pause, followed by a directive requiring the administration to comply with his TRO after concluding they had breached it.

In his latest ruling on Wednesday, McConnell upheld his TRO and rejected the administration’s request to maintain the freeze on “FEMA and other funding.” He also clarified that his earlier ruling permits the administration to limit access to federal funds in accordance with relevant statutes and regulations. However, he noted that his decision does not prevent the President and the federal government from exercising their lawful authority to withhold funds without obtaining prior approval from the district court.