US Judge Blocks DOGE Grant Cancellations, Cites Discriminatory Practices

US District Judge Colleen McMahon on Thursday blocked the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from enforcing mass cancellations of grants awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), ruling the actions unlawful and improperly influenced by race and gender. McMahon found that DOGE staff lacked authority to terminate the grants and that the review process ignored established NEH protocols, violating administrative law.

The judge said the methodology used by DOGE amounted to discrimination, noting that projects focusing on Black civil rights, Jewish Holocaust testimony, Asian American history, Native American experiences, and women's roles were disproportionately targeted. 'Treating... the mere mention of a woman as a marker of lack of merit or wastefulness is not lawful,' McMahon stated, calling the approach 'deeply troubling' and inconsistent with federal standards.

Court records show DOGE employees Justin Fox and Nate Cavanaugh used keyword filters such as 'DEI,' 'Equity,' 'Inclusion,' and 'LGBTQ' to flag grants for cancellation, despite having no prior government experience. Cavanaugh admitted under testimony that the method was blunt and failed to reduce the federal deficit, though he maintained the goal was justified.

Non-profit organizations that challenged the cancellations welcomed the ruling, saying it protects academic integrity and congressional intent in funding humanities research. The NEH had argued the cuts undermined its mission and damaged long-standing research initiatives.

The court has barred the Trump administration from implementing the grant terminations, and the NEH is expected to reinstate affected awards while federal agencies review compliance with the decision.