Federal Court Blocks AmeriCorps Grant Cancellations in 24 States and DC

While refusing to stop the federal organization for national service and volunteering from reducing the majority of its staff, a federal judge on Thursday ordered the Trump administration to reinstate AmeriCorps grant-funded activities in 24 states with Democratic majorities. The administration is still working to put a large portion of the agency's employees on administrative leave with the goal of firing them on June 24 despite U.S. District Judge Deborah Boardman's order.

AmeriCorps, a federal organization established by the National and Community Service Trust Act of 1993 with the goal of "improving lives, strengthening communities, and fostering civic engagement through service and volunteering," is the target of the verdict. AmeriCorps provides funds and human resources to communities nationwide for education, disaster relief, opioid crisis response, and other community needs.

The organization runs a number of unique programs to meet various community needs. For intensive service terms, AmeriCorps State and National assigns members to community groups, schools, and nonprofits in their area. AmeriCorps VISTA places volunteers in low-income communities to create programs and increase organizational capacity with a specific focus on reducing poverty. AmeriCorps Seniors provides senior companion services and foster grandparent programs to Americans 55 and older who want to serve.

Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Washington, D.C. are among the states that filed a lawsuit in April and are covered by the temporary restraining order.

The states contended that grants authorized by Congress were unlawfully revoked by the Department of Government Efficiency. They argued that the government had no right to arbitrarily stop funds that lawmakers had already approved and budgeted. The lawsuit poses a serious legal obstacle to the administration's larger initiatives to cut back on government funding for domestic initiatives.

After completing their service, AmeriCorps members receive modest living allowances and education rewards. Typically, their contracts range from several months to a year. They operate in a variety of fields, including as teaching elderly computer skills, constructing affordable homes, tutoring and mentoring kids, cleaning parks and streams, and assisting communities in disaster relief.

Although the decision only impacts the 24 states and D.C. that took part in the legal challenge, Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes described the administration's conduct as illegal.