Federal judge blocks Trump admin from withholding EV charging funds

A U.S. district judge has halted the Trump administration’s attempt to withhold previously awarded funds from 14 states for electric vehicle charger infrastructure.

Judge Tana Lin, based in Seattle and appointed by President Joe Biden in 2021, issued a partial injunction in favor of the states that filed the lawsuit against the Department of Transportation.

Judge Tana Lin ruled that the lawsuit—led by the attorneys general of California, Colorado, and Washington—is likely to succeed.

“Aside from the power of veto, the president is without authority to thwart congressional will by canceling appropriations passed by Congress,” Lin, a Biden appointee, wrote in her order. “Simply put, the president does not have unilateral authority to refuse to spend the funds.”

However, her decision did not extend to the District of Columbia, Minnesota, and Vermont, as they failed to show evidence of imminent harm. The injunction is set to take effect on July 1, unless the Trump administration successfully appeals to block it.

The dispute stems from a February directive by the Trump administration ordering states not to spend $5 billion allocated under the Biden-era National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program.

In May, the Government Accountability Office determined that the Trump administration violated the law by withholding funds from the electric vehicle program, stating that it is legally required to carry out the program as mandated.