ALEXANDRIA, Va. — A federal judge has kept the Trump administration’s proposed $1.776 billion Anti-Weaponization Fund on hold after senior officials declined to provide sworn assurances that the program had been abandoned.
U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema issued a preliminary injunction on Friday, June 12, 2026, barring the Justice and Treasury departments from creating, financing or operating the fund. The order also prohibits processing claims, making payments or reviving the program under another name.
Brinkema directed Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward Jr. and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to file declarations under penalty of perjury by Friday, June 19, stating that the fund would not proceed.
The Justice Department instead argued in a June 19 filing that the declarations were unnecessary and raised separation-of-powers concerns. Government lawyers repeated that the fund was not moving forward and asked the court to dismiss the lawsuit.
Why the $1.8 Billion Compensation Fund Remains Disputed
The judge sought binding assurances after conflicting public messages. Blanche told Congress on Tuesday, June 2, that the administration would not move forward with the fund. Trump later called the proposal “a great idea” in an interview aired on Sunday, June 7.
The compensation plan emerged from a broader agreement tied to President Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS, which is now facing a separate federal court review over possible fraud and deception.
The compensation plan emerged from a broader agreement connected to President Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service, which is facing separate scrutiny in federal court.
Critics warned that the fund could compensate people prosecuted in connection with the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack. The administration said it was intended for people who believed they had been unfairly targeted by the federal government, but eligibility rules remained unclear.
Democracy Forward brought the Virginia lawsuit for a coalition including former federal prosecutor Andrew Floyd, the city of New Haven, Common Cause and the National Abortion Federation. The plaintiffs allege that the fund lacked congressional authorization and violated federal spending and constitutional safeguards. The court has not issued a final ruling on those claims.
In a separate case on Wednesday, June 10, U.S. District Judge Richard J. Leon declined to issue a temporary restraining order after relying on government statements that the fund would not proceed.
Brinkema’s injunction remains in effect while the Virginia case continues, keeping the program frozen.
