On Wednesday, August 6, 2025, a federal judge in Oregon delivered a significant rebuke to the federal government’s abrupt cancellation of National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) grants, issuing a preliminary injunction that halts the mass withdrawal of funding from humanities councils and cultural organizations across the country. The decision, handed down by U.S. District Judge Michael H. Simon, has sent ripples through the American arts and culture community, as it temporarily restores a crucial lifeline for organizations reeling from the sudden loss of support earlier this year.
The controversy began in April, when the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) terminated NEH grants that had already been approved by Congress. The sweeping action affected thousands of recipients nationwide, including humanities councils, museums, historic sites, archives, libraries, educators, and media outlets, as reported by NPR. The move was part of President Donald Trump’s broader cost-cutting agenda, but it quickly drew fire from affected organizations and advocates who saw it as a violation of the federal-state partnership that has long underpinned humanities funding in the United States.
Oregon Humanities and the Federation of State Humanities Councils responded by filing a lawsuit in May, arguing that the grant cancellations were not only devastating to local programming but also unlawful. Their complaint described the cuts as an “attempted destruction, spearheaded by DOGE, of the congressionally established federal-state partnership.” The plaintiffs contended that the executive branch had overstepped its bounds by withholding funds that Congress had explicitly appropriated for humanities programs.
Judge Simon’s ruling sided firmly with the plaintiffs. In his opinion, he wrote that the councils were “likely to succeed on their claim that the withholding of the funds at issue in this case is unconstitutional.” He emphasized, “The United States Constitution exclusively grants the power of the purse to Congress, not the President.” According to the Associated Press, Simon noted that the defendants’ actions reflected a “deliberate decision to flout Congressional command and refuse to spend appropriated funds.”
The injunction not only prevents the government from canceling the grants but also bars it from “disbursing, encumbering, loaning, granting, or otherwise disposing of the funds committed to Plaintiffs” for any other purpose. Judge Simon pointed out that there was “unrebutted evidence of irreparable harms,” highlighting that once these programs are canceled, “there can be no do over and no redress.”
The impact of the funding cuts has been immediate and severe for many organizations. Phoebe Stein, president of the Federation of State Humanities Councils, called the judge’s ruling “excellent” but cautioned that “humanities councils are still operating without their Congressionally appropriated funds, and many have already laid off staff and cancelled vital programs as a result.” She added, “This is an important victory on a long road to ensuring states and territories get the resources that Congress intended for humanities programming in local communities.”
Adam Davis, executive director of Oregon Humanities, echoed this sense of cautious optimism. He described the ruling as “heartening and motivating,” stating, “This is one step — among many that are needed — in the large, ongoing endeavor to knit our communities and the country closer together.” Davis explained that while the injunction allows the lawsuit to move forward and protects the designated funds from being spent elsewhere, Oregon Humanities has yet to receive the funding it was approved for—grants covering November 2022 to October 2027, as well as another awarded in January 2025. The organization had already incurred expenses in anticipation of reimbursement, a common practice among nonprofits reliant on federal support.
The loss of funding forced Oregon Humanities to suspend programming and lay off staff, disrupting a wide array of community projects. These include support for rural libraries in places like Newport and Forest Grove, indigenous storytelling initiatives, free adult education classes for those near the poverty line, and training facilitators to lead conversations across rural libraries in preparation for the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. The aim of these activities, Davis noted, is to foster dialogue on topics such as equality and the pursuit of happiness, helping neighbors deepen their understanding of one another.
Other organizations hit hard by the funding freeze include Portland’s Vanport Mosaic, Corvallis’ Multicultural Library, and Otis’ Conexión Fénix, which hosts cultural festivals and educational opportunities for coastal Latino communities. Judge Simon’s ruling specifically underscored the importance of the federal-state partnership in NEH funding, quoting the late Michigan Rep. William D. Ford: “The arts and the humanities are not frills, but are crucial to our Nation’s survival and continued freedom.”
This legal battle is not confined to Oregon. In July, a New York federal court reached a similar conclusion, finding that the government had violated the law by canceling humanities grants that had already been awarded. That court ordered the grants to be reinstated at least until the case could be fully tried, as reported by NPR. The pattern of judicial pushback highlights the widespread concern that executive actions are undermining decades of bipartisan support for federal arts and humanities funding. Judge Simon himself remarked, “Federal funding for the arts and humanities has enjoyed bipartisan support for decades, with Congress continuing to strengthen the statutes governing NEH and provide stable funding generation after generation.”
The future remains uncertain for organizations like Oregon Humanities. Davis acknowledged that while the injunction is a positive development, the organization is unlikely to regain enough certainty to rehire staff in the immediate future. However, he expressed hope that some programs and grants around the state could be restarted. Much depends on the outcome of the ongoing litigation and the clarity expected from the 2026 federal budget this October. In the meantime, Oregon Humanities is considering alternative sources of support, such as individual donations, foundation funds, state support, or even charging small fees for some training services. “Between those other four sources of income, or if we see a very large increase in individual support, that might mean we can open up grants again,” Davis said.
For now, the injunction stands as a crucial safeguard, ensuring that the funds Congress intended for the humanities are protected while the courts weigh the constitutionality of the administration’s actions. As the legal process unfolds, humanities organizations across the country are watching closely, hoping that the stability and assurance of federal support—long a hallmark of the American cultural landscape—will ultimately prevail.
