California Attorney General Rob Bonta has achieved a legal victory in a case against the Trump Administration regarding the termination of National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants. U.S. District Judge William Young, appointed during the Reagan Administration, ruled that directives to terminate these grants were unlawful. The court struck down both the termination and the executive orders under the Administrative Procedure Act.
Judge Young criticized the Trump Administration’s actions as discriminatory, stating he had “never seen a record where racial discrimination was so palpable” in his 40 years on the bench. The decision mandates the restoration of terminated grants in plaintiff states, allowing California universities to continue their biomedical research while the case proceeds.
Attorney General Bonta commented on the ruling: “The Trump Administration’s illegal attack on NIH grants is an assault on life-saving medical research, and our diverse communities who rely on it, and I’m glad to see the court has recognized the merits of our case.” He emphasized that today’s decision reinstates funding to research institutions affected by what he described as “reckless and discriminatory anti-DEI directives.”
The lawsuit was initially filed by Bonta alongside a multistate coalition against the Trump Administration, Department of Health and Human Services, and NIH. It accused them of unlawfully terminating grants related to topics like “DEI,” “transgender issues,” and “vaccine hesitancy.” The NIH had claimed these projects no longer aligned with agency priorities.
NIH plays a crucial role in biomedical and public health research, with over 80% of its Congressional funding supporting external labs, schools, and hospitals. Research supported by NIH has historically contributed significantly to medical advancements such as vaccines for rubella and treatments for HIV/AIDS.
In light of this ruling, further proceedings will address whether there has been unreasonable delay in processing new grant applications. The coalition plans to file a proposed order with the court soon.
