Federal judge orders Trump Administration to fund electric vehicle charging stations in 14 states

The federal judiciary ordered the Trump Administration to give billions of dollars to 14 states for the installation of electric vehicle charging stations.

Federal Judge Tana Lin of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington ruled against the Trump Administration, which will have until July 2 to appeal or comply with the order.

These economic resources stem from a program—National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI)—that has allocated the delivery of $5 billion to finance the installation of electric vehicle charging networks.

That program was part of a bill pushed by the Biden Administration and passed by Congress in 2022.

However, the Trump Administration decided to suspend it in February, prompting several states—all governed by Democrats and led by California—to challenge the decision in court.

Now, Judge Lin has sided with the plaintiffs, claiming that the Trump Administration overreached in suspending the financial appropriation granted for this project.

"When the executive branch encroaches on the will of the legislative branch and an administrative agency acts contrary to law, it is the Court's duty to remedy the situation and restore the balance of powers," Judge Lin said.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta celebrated the court's decision, stressing that the Trump administration's suspension of the funds was "illegal."

"We’ve secured a decision blocking the Trump Administration’s unlawful withholding of billions in funding for EV charging infrastructure. The administration cannot dismiss programs illegally, like the bipartisan Electric Vehicle Infrastructure formula program, just so that the President’s Big Oil friends can continue basking in record-breaking profits," said Bonta.