Federal Judge Rules DOGE's Cancellation of NEH Grants Unconstitutional

A federal judge in New York ruled that the Trump administration's cancellation of over $100 million in humanities grants was unconstitutional, and that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) lacked authority to terminate the funding. U.S. District Judge Colleen McMahon permanently barred the administration from canceling more than 1,400 grants, siding with The Authors Guild and other plaintiffs. McMahon found that the government violated the First Amendment and the Fifth Amendment's equal protection clause, and criticized DOGE's use of AI, specifically ChatGPT, to identify grants as DEI-related. She rejected the government's argument that AI, not officials, was responsible for viewpoint discrimination. The grants were canceled in April 2025 following Trump's executive orders on DEI and cost efficiency. The judge noted that only about 40 grants from the Biden administration were spared. The American Council of Learned Societies, American Historical Association, and Modern Language Association praised the decision. Sarah Weicksel of the American Historical Association called it a restoration of the NEH's mission. Attorney Yinka Ezekiel Onayemi described the cancellations as an assault on free speech. The White House and DOJ did not immediately comment on a possible appeal.