BALTIMORE — A federal judge in Maryland is ordering the Trump Administration to reinstate hundreds of millions in AmeriCorps funding, and to bring back more than 700 workers who lost their job as result.
In April the organization was directed to immediately cease operations because the federal government determined they "no longer effectuate agency priorities."
The feds instructed Americorps to tell affected members they were being let go for "compelling personal circumstances due to the agency’s termination of the grant and program closure."
As result roughly $396.5 million in funding for 1,031 AmeriCorps programs were halted, impacting 32,465 AmeriCorps participants.
While the government first sought to transfer participants most impacted to other programs, those plans never came to fruition for a majority of members.
This led 24 states, including Maryland and Washington D.C., to sue accusing the administration of illegally dismantling AmeriCorps.
On June 5 judge Deborah Boardman, an appointee of former President Joe Biden, ruled the government's decision to close AmeriCorps was “categorical in nature" and "vague," and therefore in violation of the Administrative Procedures Act (APA).
"By law, the agency could only make those changes through public notice-and-comment rule making," Boardman's order states. "Accordingly, the Court will enjoin the [government] from effectuating and enforcing the April 15, 2025 removal of [National Civilian Community Corps] members from service, require the agency to return [them to service] (if they are willing and able to return), and require the agency to engage in notice-and-comment rule making before instituting this significant change."
Boardman, however, clarified the government can suspend or terminate AmeriCorps programs and its employees, but only under certain circumstances.
"The agency still retains the discretion to administer the NCCC program, and the agency still may dismiss members within the bounds of its statutory authority," Boardman wrote.
She cited a portion of the United State Code that states a member of the Corps can be dismissed if their retention will "jeopardize" or "diminish" opportunities of other members.
The judge further opined grants could only be terminated when a recipient fails to comply with terms and conditions of their contract.
Even if the government did provide these reasons for pulling the grants, Boardman suggested a lack of notice.
Despite Boardman writing that "AmeriCorps members are not considered employees of the organizations in which they serve, nor are they considered federal employees," she still assumed jurisdiction.
A large portion of AmeriCorps federal funding goes towards paying its members an allowance, and providing them benefits such as healthcare, childcare and education assistance.
"Today’s order restores vital AmeriCorps programs in Maryland, including Appalachian Service Through Action and Resources," said Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown. "This program and others like it serve Marylanders by teaching our public school students, and operating food banks to feed the most vulnerable among us."
WMAR-2 News previously reported on the Maryland Conservation Corps, and their work maintaining nature trails at Ladew Gardens in Harford County.
The organization was among the AmeriCorp groups cut off from federal funding.
Baltimore Civic Works is another local non-profit left reeling.
The group helps younger individuals between 17 and 24, develop skills and earn their GED.
Just this week, they were expecting to lose 18 volunteers this spring, and possibly another 25 in the summer due to $100,000 in cuts.
Boardman's ruling is just the latest judicial setback for the Trump White House.
Trump and his allies have heavily criticized district level judges blocking his agenda, leading to separation of powers concerns.
Several injunctions have been issued right here out of Maryland, with Brown leading the charge, often on APA grounds.
As for cases involving grant funding, the government has conceded Congress's power to allocate, while defending the President's power to choose how that money's spent.
Such decisions, they contend, are not subject to judicial review under the APA.
Similar rulings by other Maryland judges have already been overturned on appeal, including lawsuits over DEI grants for non-profits and teachers organizations.
Trump allies have long criticized local federal judges, for allegedly violating the separation of powers.
Some have even supported the idea of Trump ignoring the courts, considering they have no true enforcement mechanism against a sitting President with sweeping immunity and control of the DOJ tasked with carrying out their orders.
Compared to his predecessors, Trump has been on the receiving end of an overwhelming tidal-wave of nationwide injunctions, from single unelected judges, sitting in different jurisdictions within dozens of states seen as more favorable to Democrats.
The once little-used judicial remedy has become somewhat of the norm during the Trump Presidency.
His lawyers argue the constitution limits district judges to narrow rulings, only within their districts, for the specific plaintiffs seeking relief.
In the AmeriCorps case, Boardman's ruling affects only the 24 states that sued.
The U.S. Supreme Court is currently considering the Trump Administration's arguments against injunctions.