Duke responds to federal funding freeze, NC joins 22 states to sue Trump administration

President Donald Trump addresses reporters outside the White House in February 2020.
President Donald Trump addresses reporters outside the White House in February 2020.

North Carolina joined 22 other states Tuesday in a lawsuit to stop a freeze of federal funds by the Trump administration, while Duke addressed “concern and uncertainty” surrounding the order in an email to community members.

The order, announced in an Office of Management and Budget memo Monday evening, directed federal agencies to “temporarily pause all activities related to obligation or disbursement of all federal financial assistance.” Though the freeze was set to begin 5 p.m. Tuesday, a federal judge paused the order until Feb. 3 in response to a lawsuit by a coalition of nonprofit groups, businesses and public health advocates.

“These actions impact areas central to Duke’s mission and operations, and we want to assure you that our senior leadership team is actively monitoring the situation and working diligently to assess potential implications,” administrators wrote in a Tuesday email to all community members.

The message emphasized that various University offices, including Student Affairs, the Office of Institutional Equity and the Office of Government Relations, are collaborating to “analyze the potential impacts of these actions,” adding that Duke is working with federal contacts to determine next steps.

The administrators — Provost Alec Gallimore, Executive Vice President Daniel Ennis and Mary Klotman, executive vice president for health affairs and dean of the School of Medicine — also recommended that community members refrain from “making adjustments to policies and practices” until clearer guidance is provided.

The lawsuit, joined by N.C. Attorney General Jeff Jackson, was filed in a federal court in Rhode Island and argues that the funding freeze violated the U.S. Constitution and the Administrative Procedure Act.

“This sudden freeze in federal funding is so sweeping that it could cause widespread and immediate harm across our state — delaying disaster recovery in our western counties, undercutting law enforcement, and affecting children and veterans,” Jackson wrote in a Tuesday press release. “It violates constitutional power over federal spending, and I’m taking legal action to stop it.”

Historically, federal grants and loans have supported transportation, elder care and public education programs designed for disabled and low-income children in North Carolina, including free school meals.

The OMB memo also required that federal agencies cancel already-awarded projects if they conflict with the “administration[’s] priorities,” with diversity, equity and inclusion efforts and climate change initiatives a likely target.

According to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, the funding freeze will not impact individual assistance programs, including Medicare, Social Security, food stamps and welfare. 

A representative from the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services told CBS 17 that the N.C. Medicaid portal was temporarily unavailable Tuesday, though access is now restored.

The Department of Education also clarified Tuesday that the memo did not apply to federal student loans or Pell Grants.


Kate Haver | University News Editor

Kate Haver is a Trinity sophomore and a university news editor of The Chronicle's 120th volume.      

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