U.S. District Judge Tana Lin recently issued a preliminary injunction blocking the Trump administration from withholding billions of dollars in electric vehicle infrastructure funding. The ruling restores approximately $5 billion in funding under the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program to 14 states that had been denied access since disbursements were paused earlier this year.
The injunction follows a lawsuit filed by a coalition of 16 states and the District of Columbia, which argued that the administration lacked the legal authority to suspend congressionally approved funding. In her ruling, Judge Lin found that the states were likely to succeed in proving that the executive branch exceeded its authority.
The ruling applies to 14 of the 17 plaintiffs, including California, New York, Illinois, Washington, and Arizona, but does not cover the District of Columbia, Minnesota, or Vermont. Judge Lin determined those three jurisdictions did not demonstrate imminent harm under the current funding pause.
The decision is scheduled to take effect in one week, depending on interpretation of the court order. In the meantime, the Trump administration is expected to appeal. If the injunction holds, states can begin accessing NEVI funds that have been delayed.
The legal challenge came in response to the administration’s decision to halt funding distribution as part of what it described as a policy review. The Department of Transportation is expected to issue revised NEVI implementation guidance later this summer.
