A federal judge ordered the Trump administration to cancel remaining taxpayer-funded television ads, blocking further use of Homeland Security funds for the campaign.
A federal judge in New York has ordered the Trump administration to immediately halt a campaign of television advertisements paid for with taxpayer money. U.S. District Judge Jennifer Rochon granted a temporary restraining order on Sunday night, siding with plaintiffs who argued the ads constituted an illegal misuse of federal funds.
Judge Rochon, a Biden appointee based in Manhattan, directed the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to cancel any remaining ad slots, including those scheduled to air on Sunday evening. The order bars the administration from entering into, renewing, or expanding any agreements to develop, create, or air the challenged advertisements for a period of two weeks.
“Defendants shall not enter into, renew, or expand any agreement authorizing the development, creation, dissemination, placement, or airing of the challenged advertisements,” Rochon wrote in the order. She also enjoined the defendants from using, disbursing, or transferring funds appropriated to the DHS for these purposes.
The order requires the administration to immediately inform LMD Media, the contractor that carried out the ad buy, to abide by the ruling. The judge also stayed the contract between LMD Agency and the DHS.
The ads were funded by a $20 million allocation from the DHS, which includes U.S. Customs and Border Protection. According to a sworn declaration by Holly Mehringer, the acting DHS chief financial officer, approximately $19 million had already been spent on the media buys as of the filing. The funds originated from a $175 million package Congress provided to the department as part of President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement agenda, specifically categorized for “OBBBA commemorative events” (One Big Beautiful Bill Act).
The lawsuit was brought by a coalition including the nonpartisan watchdog group Common Cause, a public employee union, and a candidate for Alabama state representative. They alleged the ads violated federal statutes prohibiting the use of appropriated money for “publicity or propaganda.”
Separately, the Democratic National Committee and the Democratic Party of Wisconsin filed their own lawsuits challenging the ads in federal court in Washington.
The Justice Department argued in a court filing late Saturday that a restraining order was unnecessary because the ad campaign was set to end on Sunday. “The alleged offending conduct will end tomorrow,” the department stated. However, Common Cause attorneys noted in their filing that the contract with the ad agency ran until September 2027 and that the government offered no guarantee the ads would not continue.
The White House has defended the spots as public service announcements similar to those run by previous administrations. However, critics and legal experts noted that unlike past PSAs which promoted specific government programs, these ads closely mirrored campaign rhetoric. One ad was described as a near replica of a 2024 campaign advertisement.
President Trump acknowledged the backlash on October 5, stating he had decided to pay for the ads himself through his super PAC, MAGA Inc. However, the White House confirmed on Monday that the administration did not plan to reimburse the government for the millions already spent.
This ruling highlights the legal boundaries regarding the use of federal funds for political messaging. While the administration characterized the ads as patriotic promotions, the court’s intervention underscores the strict prohibitions against using taxpayer money for partisan propaganda, particularly in the lead-up to midterm elections. The case sets a precedent for how future administrations may navigate the line between public information campaigns and political advertising.
Sources
This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.
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