Judge grants injunction in Snohomish County lawsuit versus Trump admin

Published 12:03 pm Friday, August 15, 2025

EVERETT — A federal judge ruled in favor of Snohomish County on Tuesday in a court battle against the Trump administration, in which the county and other plaintiffs argued it had imposed unlawful conditions on federal grant funding.

Judge Barbara J. Rothstein’s preliminary injunction — a temporary measure that maintains status quo while a lawsuit plays out — means that for the time being, a number of federal agencies will not be able to withhold or cancel grant funds based on certain conditions the administration had imposed without congressional approval.

“Every dollar allocated is a deliberate decision on how to serve the public good,” Judge Rothstein wrote in her order on Tuesday. “And under the constitution, it is Congress — not the President — that has the authority to make those judgements.”

The case is still ongoing. That injunction could still be overturned in a final ruling. Injunctions and final rulings can also be appealed.

“Legal proceedings likely will continue for some time,” Snohomish County spokesperson Kari Bray wrote in a statement. “However, this week’s update on the case is welcome news for Snohomish County and for crucial local programs that receive federal grant funding.”

The local governments argued that the federal administration didn’t have the right to coerce grant recipients into implementing its policies, as the funding was already appropriated by Congress without those conditions in place.

The administration argued that complying with the conditions is required because, in part, policies regarding “gender ideology” and diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives are in contrast to federal antidiscrimination laws.

Judge Rothstein, in her ruling, wrote that the administration’s interpretation of antidiscrimination laws is “inconsistent with well-established legal precedent,” citing legal protections already in place for transgender people and people with disabilities. She added that the administration is leveraging local agencies’ dependence on federal funding “to coerce them into replacing their own local policies with the Trump Administration’s political agenda.”

In May, Snohomish County joined seven other local governments across the U.S. in suing the Trump administration after it required the county to comply with new executive orders before using grant funds for transportation and homelessness assistance. Those conditions included not using grant funds to promote “gender ideology” or elective abortions, and required agencies to remove any diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives before using the funding, according to court records.

In June, a judge granted a preliminary injunction in favor of the county and a number of local governments, as the court determined they were likely to succeed as the administration’s actions were “contrary to the constitution,” “in excess of statutory authority,” “arbitrary,” and “capricious,” court documents said.

Then, in July, about 30 more local agencies joined the case, alleging that the administration was attempting to add more conditions to a wider range of grants administered by other federal agencies. Judge Rothstein’s ruling on Tuesday granted a preliminary injunction in regards to all of the plaintiffs involved in the case.

Originally, Snohomish County had joined the legal battle over Continuum of Care grant funding, which is issued by the Department of Housing and Urban Development. That $17 million in funding goes toward housing assistance and support services for homeless individuals. Over time, it argued the administration had also improperly imposed the conditions on transportation funding, other housing programs and on health department funding.

Will Geschke: 425-339-3443; william.geschke@heraldnet.com; X: @willgeschke.