Attorney General Ellison stops freeze of $10 billion for childcare and assistance to families
February 6, 2026 (SAINT PAUL) — Attorney General Keith Ellison today released the following statement after winning a second court order that prevents the Trump administration from carrying out its freeze of over $10 billion in funding for childcare and support for vulnerable families:
"Today's order further protects Minnesotans from Donald Trump’s devastating and unlawful cuts to childcare services. This is a tremendous relief for parents across Minnesota, as these cuts would have devastated our childcare system and forced low-income families to choose between going to work to pay the bills and staying home to provide childcare.
“It remains astonishing and appalling that Donald Trump, the President of the United States, is working so hard to harm the people he is supposed to represent, and that so many leaders within his own party are watching silently at best or cheering on the cruelty at worst. As long as Donald Trump continues his war on Minnesota, I will continue to do everything in my power to protect Minnesotans from the pain and hardship he’s trying to inflict on our state."
On January 8, Attorney General Ellison and four other states sued the Trump administration to protect three critical programs from the administration’s attempt to target its political opponents by freezing over $10 billion in federal funds to the states. The freeze targeted funds for the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, and the Social Services Block Grant (SSBG) in the five states.
In Minnesota, the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) administers the three funding programs at issue in this lawsuit, each of which support different critical forms of support for low-income families with children. CCDF funding, for example, assists low-income parents who are working or in school to pay for childcare at the times they need it most, and ensures money is invested in the overall safety, quality, and availability of childcare services for all children. TANF funding includes assistance aimed at helping low-income families with children afford essentials like gas, groceries, and rent. SSBG funding provides flexible support for a range of child welfare services implemented through the state and counties, including foster care funding.
On January 9, the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York granted the states’ motion for a temporary restraining order, blocking the implementation of the funding freeze. The court today granted the states’ motion for a preliminary injunction, continuing to block the funding freeze and allowing the states to draw down funds for the three targeted programs.
Joining Attorney General Ellison in filing this lawsuit are the attorneys general of California, Colorado, Illinois, and New York.
