New York Attorney General Letitia James secured a court order forcing the Trump administration to restore states’ access to critical Department of Education (ED) programs that support low-income and unhoused students and provide funding for other services to address the long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on K-12 students. On April 10, Attorney General James led a coalition of 15 other attorneys general and the Governor of Pennsylvania in suing the Trump administration for unilaterally ending access to over $1 billion in grants from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), which ED had previously determined the states could access through March 2026. New York alone lost access to $134 million in funds due to ED’s decision. The preliminary injunction issued today by Judge Edgardo Ramos of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York orders ED to immediately restore states’ access to these critical funds as the case continues. “The Trump administration’s illegal decision to cut off essential education funding put some of our most vulnerable students at risk of falling behind in school,” said Attorney General James. “This is a major win for our students and teachers who are counting on this funding to help them succeed. I will continue to defend New York’s schools and ensure they get the resources they need to provide a quality education to everyone.”