Nvidia-Groq AI Chip Deal Faces U.S. Antitrust Probe 
Iran Warns US Against Renewed Attacks as Hormuz Tensions Rise 
Trump Administration Prepares Sanctions Against Entire ICC 
North Korea Tests Drone-Missile Swarm Attack Tactics 
UN Experts Urge US to Halt Third-Country Migrant Deportations 
UK PM Burnham to Unveil Economic Vision at Labour Conference 
Venezuela Nears Deal to Move $4 Billion in Gold to New York Fed 
CNN, MS NOW and Politico Sue Trump Over White House Media Ban 
National Rally Secures French Senate Caucus for First Time 
Pope Leo Urges Europe to Pursue Peace Through Compromise 
Republicans Flood Safe House Races With Cash as Midterm Risks Rise 
Second DOJ Lawyer Exits Trump Probe 
Senate Democrats Say Tether USDT Helps Iran Evade Sanctions 
Paramount Skydance Faces $30 Million Film Penalty in Warner Bros. Deal 
Najib Razak Granted House Arrest Until 2028 
Judge Blocks Trump Rule Limiting Foreign Student Visas 
US Court Approves airBaltic Chapter 11 Restructuring 
Add as a preferred source on Google
A U.S. federal judge on Monday blocked the Trump administration from tying counterterrorism funding for state and local governments to changes in election administration, rejecting an effort to use federal security grants to advance election-related requirements.
U.S. District Judge Amir Ali in Washington ruled that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) lacked congressional authority to impose the conditions. The decision came after local governments in Texas, Ohio and Tennessee challenged the policy, arguing that FEMA had exceeded its legal powers.
Earlier in 2026, the Department of Homeland Security announced that 20% of certain counterterrorism grants would be withheld until state or local governments adopted election administration measures sought by the Trump administration. The affected programs provide more than $1 billion to help governments prepare for terrorist attacks and other security threats.
Among the election-related requirements were measures involving voter citizenship verification, voting equipment and ballot audits. Judge Ali concluded that federal agencies had not been authorized by Congress to attach those conditions to the security grants and that the requirements did not have a sufficient connection to the programs' counterterrorism purpose.
The plaintiffs included Columbus, Ohio; Nashville and Davidson County, Tennessee; and El Paso and Harris counties in Texas. They argued that withholding public safety funding to secure election policy changes went beyond FEMA's statutory authority.
The ruling comes ahead of the November 3 U.S. midterm elections and amid broader legal disputes over the federal government's role in election administration, which is largely managed by states and local jurisdictions.
The decision prevents the administration from enforcing the challenged election conditions through these counterterrorism grants. The Department of Homeland Security and FEMA did not immediately comment on the ruling or indicate whether the administration would appeal.
