Judge Orders USDA to Restore Maine’s Frozen Funds Amid Transgender Sports Controversy

PORTLAND, Maine — A federal judge has ordered the U.S. Department of Agriculture to restore funds that were frozen due to a dispute between President Donald Trump and Maine Governor Janet Mills over transgender athletes in school sports.

U.S. District Court Judge John Woodcock issued a temporary restraining order on Friday, allowing the funds to be unfrozen. This decision comes after Maine’s state government raised concerns about essential federal aid being withheld.

The controversy initially erupted following an executive order issued by Trump in early February, which aimed to prevent transgender girls from participating on girls’ sports teams. The order compelled federal agencies, including the USDA, to threaten the withdrawal of funding for educational programs that allegedly violate this directive.

The Maine Principals' Association, the governing body for school sports in the state, has stated that it would continue to permit transgender girls to compete in sports, in alignment with state laws. This decision prompted Trump to confront Governor Mills during a February 21 event at the White House, where he warned her that failure to comply could result in a total loss of federal funding.

“You better do it, because you’re not going to get any federal funding at all if you don’t,” Trump stated, to which Mills confidently replied, “See you in court.”

In light of the standoff, Trump has called for a public apology from Mills, insisting she acknowledge the legality of the federal executive order. “We need a full throated apology from the Governor herself, and a statement that she will never make such an unlawful challenge to the Federal Government again, before this case can be settled,” Trump wrote in a social media post.

Following this confrontation, the Trump administration initiated investigations into Maine related to Title IX, which prohibits sex-based discrimination in education. This scrutiny includes inquiries from both the Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services.

Earlier this month, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins informed Mills that federal funding for various school functions would be paused in response to what he described as the Governor’s “defiance of federal law.” The exact amount of funding that could be affected remains unclear, but Rollins warned that other areas of research and educational funding would be scrutinized as well.

In response, on Monday, the state of Maine filed a complaint asserting that the USDA failed to follow necessary legal procedures prior to halting the federal funds. Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey emphasized the vital nature of these funds, which are critical for feeding school children across the state. He urged the court to reinstate the federal support without delay.