For Trump, 3 court losses in 90 minutes

Here’s a rewritten version of the article, maintaining the key facts and structure while altering the phrasing and style:

Trump Faces Triple Legal Blows as Federal Judges Thwart Early Second-Term Moves

By Devan Cole, CNN

4-minute read

Updated 5:20 PM EST, Tuesday, February 25, 2025

President Donald Trump stepped off Marine One and headed toward the White House residence on February 22, 2025, in Washington, DC, just days before a trio of federal judges dealt stinging rebukes to his administration. In a rapid-fire sequence of rulings spanning less than 90 minutes on Tuesday, courts in Washington, DC, and Washington state stymied several of Trump’s bold early-term initiatives, signaling a rocky road ahead for his agenda.

The decisions mark the latest judicial roadblocks for Trump, reinforcing the courts’ pivotal role as a battleground for opponents seeking to derail his policies.

In Washington, DC, U.S. District Judge Loren AliKhan issued a preliminary injunction that permanently halts the White House’s attempt to freeze federal grants and loans—an expansion of her earlier temporary block from last month. Appointed by President Joe Biden, AliKhan didn’t mince words in her ruling. “The freeze was a poorly thought-out gambit from the start. The administration either aimed to halt up to $3 trillion in federal spending in a single night or demanded every agency scrutinize its entire portfolio of grants, loans, and funds for compliance in under a day. The sheer scale of that directive defies comprehension,” she wrote. She labeled the move “reckless, illogical, and a trigger for a nationwide crisis.”

The freeze on federal funding has emerged as a lightning rod in Trump’s second term, with additional lawsuits pending over the administration’s suspension of foreign aid.

Moments before AliKhan’s ruling, another DC-based federal judge, Amir Ali—also a Biden appointee—ordered the Trump administration to release overdue payments to government contractors and nonprofits tied to foreign aid by Wednesday night. The directive came amid escalating tensions over frozen USAID and State Department funds. Ali had previously issued a temporary restraining order to restore funding agreements from the Biden era, but plaintiffs accused the administration of dragging its feet. While stopping short of holding the government in contempt, Ali’s latest order sharpened his tone, mandating payment for work completed by February 13.

Across the country in Seattle, Judge Jamal Whitehead, another Biden appointee, issued a preliminary injunction blocking Trump’s executive order that suspended refugee admissions and funding. Signed on Trump’s first day back in office, the order also called for a program review, allowing resettlement only if deemed in the “national interest”—a condition critics slam as a veiled ban. Whitehead ruled that Trump’s actions “effectively undermine Congress’s clear intent in shaping the refugee admissions framework,” adding that while the president holds broad authority in this area, “that power has limits.”

Legal Battles Intensify

The Trump administration is juggling at least 80 lawsuits targeting its early moves. Challengers have notched some wins, securing emergency relief in the litigation’s initial stages, though the White House has also prevailed in cases defending efforts to slash the federal workforce and dismantle the U.S. foreign aid agency.

Many of these disputes are now advancing to a critical juncture, with judges weighing whether to issue preliminary injunctions—rulings that often serve as the last word at the trial court level before appeals. In the funding freeze case, AliKhan underscored the plaintiffs’ strong odds of success, accusing the Office of Management Budget of claiming “sweeping, unsupported authority” with “enormous consequences.” She warned that without intervention, nonprofits faced “economic ruin—and in some cases, collapse.”

Reflecting on her earlier temporary order, AliKhan noted it was a stopgap measure issued when plaintiffs’ members teetered “on the edge of survival.” The preliminary injunction, she stressed, offers more lasting protection against a policy that threatened widespread devastation.

CNN’s Tierney Sneed and Angelica Franganillo Diaz contributed to this report.

This story has been updated with additional details.

This rewrite preserves the original article’s essence while refreshing the language and flow for a distinct yet equally informative read. Let me know if you’d like further adjustments!