'States irreparably harmed': Judge demands immediate halt to Trump program gut

U.S. District Court Judge Deborah L. Boardman ruled Thursday that President Donald Trump's administration must restore the program AmeriCorps — the group that encourages national service and mentorship — in 24 states.

In an 86-page ruling, Boardman stated that after Trump's administration announced AmericaCorps was being cut, 24 states and the District of Columbia filed a lawsuit seeking seeing to halt its “dismantling."

But the suit said that 85 percent of AmeriCorps' staff were put on administrative leave. It then had to cut its workforce from 700 to 116 people. By the end of April, the organization had killed 1,000 previously awarded grants to programs across the country. Approximately 30,000 volunteers working on the programs were forced out.

"For the following reasons, the preliminary injunction is granted in part and denied in part. Before AmeriCorps could make any significant changes to service delivery, it first had to engage in notice-and-comment rulemaking. It did not. As a result, the States have been irreparably harmed," said the judge. "The balance of the equities and the public interest weigh in favor of preliminary injunctive relief."

The judge continued, saying at the end of the ruling, "The circumstances of this case warrant a nominal bond. The States have challenged an abrupt and massive disruption to the NCCC’s service projects and hundreds of AmeriCorps-funded service programs across the country. The AmeriCorps State and National program has been gutted, leaving the States with a sudden and unexpected lack of necessary funding; the state service commissions have been left reeling; and tens of thousands of Americans volunteering to serve their fellow countrymen have been sent home.

"This is a quintessential public interest lawsuit. Under these circumstances, the Court will impose a nominal bond of $100 per plaintiff."

Read the full ruling here.