Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown announced an agreement requiring the Trump administration to release the remaining $110 million in federal education funding by October 3, 2025, resolving a multistate lawsuit over the administration’s earlier decision to freeze the funds.
Per the news release distributed on Monday, August 25: “Attorney General Anthony G. Brown today secured an agreement requiring the Trump administration to release the full balance of remaining education funding at issue in a multistate lawsuit by no later than October 3, 2025.
Last month, Attorney General Brown joined a coalition in suing the Trump administration over what he called its unconstitutional, unlawful, and arbitrary decision to freeze funding for six longstanding programs administered by the U.S. Department of Education, just weeks before the school year was set to start.
In Maryland, approximately $110 million in federal education funding was frozen, jeopardizing key programs for after-school and summer learning, teacher preparation, and support for students learning English. Days later, the Trump administration released the first tranche of funding that had previously been withheld.
The multistate coalition and the Trump administration today jointly filed to dismiss the case under the terms of an agreement that ensures the remaining funding is released on time, providing Maryland and the coalition with the full relief they had sought in the lawsuit.
“This victory ensures that Maryland’s K–12 schools and adult education programs will receive every dollar of the $110 million in federal education funding they were promised — resources they depend on to prepare our students for a brighter tomorrow,” said Attorney General Brown. “This agreement means that the Trump Administration will reverse its reckless and unlawful decision to withhold these critical resources from our teachers, our communities, and our families. Our Office will always stand up for Marylanders’ education and protect them when the federal government’s broken promises threaten their future.”
On June 30, the Trump administration abruptly froze funding for six longstanding programs administered by the U.S. Department of Education. For decades, Maryland and other states have used funding under these programs to carry out a broad range of efforts, including educational programs for migrant children and English learners, initiatives to promote effective classroom instruction, improve school conditions, support technology in classrooms, community learning centers that provide academic and extracurricular enrichment, and adult education and workforce development programs.
On July 14, Attorney General Brown joined a coalition of 23 attorneys general and two states in filing a lawsuit and motion for a preliminary injunction, arguing that the freeze violates federal funding statutes and appropriations laws, as well as federal budget regulations and the constitutional separation of powers doctrine.
The following week, Maryland received notice from the Department of Education that beginning the week of July 28, the agency would begin releasing previously impounded federal funds for the current federal and education fiscal year. Maryland subsequently received Grant Award Notifications confirming that the entirety of the funds required to be made available to the states on July 1 had been released.
A copy of the motion to dismiss with stipulations is available at www.marylandattorneygeneral.gov.”
