Trump Moves to Withhold $800 Million in Approved Funds, Drawing Legal Challenge

US President Donald Trump moved on Friday to unilaterally withhold more than $800 million in spending that Congress had already approved, targeting programs related to immigration, race and education. The action marks the latest chapter in an ongoing struggle between the White House and lawmakers over control of federal spending.

In a statement announcing the decision, the White House said Trump was committed to using every available tool to eliminate what it described as wasteful and harmful government spending that does not benefit American citizens. The administration identified several affected programs, including initiatives focused on refugee assistance, business development for racial minorities, and overseas conservation efforts.

The Constitution assigns Congress the power of the purse, but the White House argued that the programs in question supported illegal immigration, inflamed racial tensions and promoted alarmist approaches to environmental policy. To carry out the move, the administration is employing a rarely used mechanism known as a pocket rescission, which allows the executive branch to bypass congressional approval.

Senator Susan Collins, who chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee, condemned the step as illegal. "This is the most recent attempt by this Office of Management and Budget to undermine Congress's Constitutional power of the purse," said Collins, a Republican facing a competitive reelection race in Maine. She added that any effort to rescind appropriated funds without congressional approval constitutes a clear violation of the law.

The tactic has precedent. Last year, the Supreme Court declined to block Trump from using the same approach to withhold $4.9 billion in foreign aid that Congress had approved, allowing the administration to proceed while litigation continued.