In Washington D.C., a U.S. judge temporarily halted President Donald Trump’s administration from seizing funds allocated to 14 states intended for building electric vehicle charging stations on Tuesday.
U.S. District Judge Tana Lin in Seattle, Washington, determined that the states have a strong chance of prevailing in their lawsuit, which claims that the federal government is improperly holding back billions of dollars intended for states to construct electric vehicle charging stations.
In February, the U.S. Transportation Department halted the electric vehicle (EV) charging initiative and withdrew consent for state proposals awaiting an assessment.
Lin's decision was not applicable to the District of Columbia, Minnesota, and Vermont, all of which had filed lawsuits against the funding rollback. However, these states failed to present proof that they would experience direct consequences due to the Transportation Department’s choice.
Lin's decision will become active in seven days, providing the Trump administration with the opportunity to lodge an appeal and request that an appeals court prevent her ruling from being implemented during this period.
(Reported by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Edited by Sandra Maler and Jamie Freed)