The goal was to permanently cut funding off for programs associated with anything not in line with President Trump's agenda including anything involving Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, the Green New Deal, and Transgender issues.
RELATED: Federal judge temporarily blocks Trump administration freeze on federal grants and loans
"It is the responsibility of this president and this administration to be good stewards of taxpayer dollars. That is something that President Trump campaigned on," said Karoline Leavitt.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta joined other Democratic attorneys general in suing the Trump Administration over the freeze.
"This directive from OMB is unlawful. It violated the U.S. Constitution, it violates the Administrative Procedures Act," said Bonta.
RELATED: Uncertainty lingers for students as judge temporarily blocks Trump funding freeze
Central Valley nonprofits would start to see the impacts immediately.
"I think the American public is about to get an education into how federal money is spent. I don't think most people think that my local after school program is actually funded through federal funding that is considered funding for diverse populations," said Tania Pacheco-Werner, executive director of the Central Valley Health Policy Institute at Fresno State, which helps nonprofits with research and development.
She says the funding freeze will impact the economy, too.
"Services are one of our strongest points of labor in our county. The number two way that people have jobs being impacted in a way that we don't understand yet," said Pacheco-Werner.
FIRM, the Fresno Interdenominational Refugees Ministries, is dealing with a double whammy.
They were hit with a "stop work order" from the State Department last week to end refugee resettlement.
A federal grant freeze could lead to the loss of six staff members.
"We are scrambling to look for other funding sources, to keep every single staff member, and to make sure that each newcomer receives the warm welcome that we believe that they deserve," Christine Barker-Dominguez, the executive director of FIRM.
The federal judge's block is in place until Monday at 5 p.m. She has set a hearing for 11 a.m.
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