Judge Strikes Down Trump’s USD1B NIH Cuts as Unlawful
(MENAFN) A federal judge in Boston has struck down the Trump administration’s attempt to eliminate over $1 billion in diversity-focused research funding at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), ruling the action unlawful and discriminatory.
In a strongly worded decision issued Monday, U.S. District Judge William Young condemned the administration’s defunding of programs tied to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), declaring the move “void and illegal.” The ruling followed a non-jury trial involving lawsuits brought by several Democratic-led states and affected institutions.
Appointed by former President Ronald Reagan, Judge Young stated he would order the restoration of the revoked funds, siding with plaintiffs who accused the administration of unfairly targeting research aimed at supporting minority communities.
"I've never seen a record where racial discrimination was so palpable," Young said from the bench, underscoring the seriousness of the administration’s actions.
"Any discrimination by our government is so wrong that it requires the court to enjoin it and at an appropriate time, I'm going to do it," he added.
The NIH, the largest publicly funded biomedical research agency globally, typically distributes around 60,000 grants annually to nearly 3,000 institutions, including universities and hospitals.
However, the agency has come under intense scrutiny and budgetary pressure during President Donald Trump’s second term, which began in January.
Since then, NIH has canceled approximately 2,100 research grants—worth about $9.5 billion—as well as another $2.6 billion in contracts, media reports reveal. A substantial portion of those cuts involved projects aligned with DEI initiatives.
The judge's decision is expected to have sweeping implications for future federal funding policies related to minority research and government-backed equity programs.
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