Golden State Today

California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced a significant legal development regarding the Trump Administration's proposed funding cuts to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The U.S. District Court for Massachusetts has issued a preliminary injunction, effectively halting these cuts nationwide until further notice.

Attorney General Bonta commented on this decision, stating, “Last month, my fellow attorneys general and I secured a temporary restraining order, which blocked the Trump Administration from eviscerating funding for life-saving medical research. Now, we have secured a preliminary injunction that continues barring the Trump Administration from implementing the NIH funding cuts.” He emphasized that “the court’s order also notes that we are likely to succeed on the merits of our claims. As we have said before, we will not allow President Trump to play politics with our public health or to break the law.”

The legal action began on February 10, 2025, when Attorney General Bonta joined forces with 21 other attorneys general in filing a lawsuit against the Trump Administration's NIH funding cuts. A temporary restraining order was granted by the court within hours of their request. Following this initial victory, a hearing for a preliminary injunction took place on February 21, 2025.

A detailed copy of the court’s order granting this preliminary injunction is available online.