California AG Secures Order Blocking $600M in CDC Grant Cuts

Temporary restraining order halts planned funding reductions targeting Democratic-led states

Published on Feb. 13, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced that the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois has granted his motion for a temporary restraining order, blocking the Trump Administration from terminating more than $600 million in Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) grants for 14 days. The planned cuts exclusively targeted four Democratic-led states: California, Colorado, Illinois, and Minnesota.

Why it matters

The funding cuts were seen as politically motivated, with the court stating that 'recent statements plausibly suggest that the reason for the direction is hostility to what the federal government calls 'sanctuary jurisdictions' or 'sanctuary cities.'' This emergency order preserves critical public health funding for the affected states during the legal challenge.

The details

Attorney General Bonta and the attorneys general of Colorado, Illinois, and Minnesota filed a lawsuit yesterday alleging that the funding cuts would irreparably harm their states and are based on political animus. The temporary restraining order blocks the planned cuts for 14 days while the court considers a more permanent injunction.

  • The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois granted the temporary restraining order on February 13, 2026.

The players

Rob Bonta

The Attorney General of California who secured the emergency order blocking the CDC grant cuts.

Trump Administration

The federal government under former President Trump that planned to terminate over $600 million in CDC grants to four Democratic-led states.

U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois

The federal court that granted the temporary restraining order, stating that recent statements suggest the funding cuts were politically motivated.

Attorneys General of Colorado, Illinois, and Minnesota

The state attorneys general who joined California in filing the lawsuit challenging the planned CDC grant cuts.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“I've said it before, and I'll say it again: If President Trump and those who work for him want to stop losing in court, they should stop breaking the law.”

— Rob Bonta, Attorney General of California (independent.com)

What’s next

The court will consider issuing a more permanent injunction to block the CDC grant cuts after the 14-day temporary restraining order expires.

The takeaway

This emergency order preserves critical public health funding for California and other Democratic-led states, highlighting the ongoing legal battles between state and federal governments over politically-charged policy decisions.