Indian-American Judge Draws Racist Attacks From MAGA After Blocking Trump’s Funding Freeze

Last Updated:January 10, 2026, 16:53 IST

Judge Arun Subramanian halted a freeze on $10 billion in aid, sparking MAGA backlash and xenophobic attacks, echoing criticism faced by Amit Mehta and Indira Talwani.

Judge Arun Subramanian halted a freeze on $10 billion in aid, sparking MAGA backlash and xenophobic attacks, echoing criticism faced by Amit Mehta and Indira Talwani. (Image: X)

An Indian-American federal judge has become the latest target of intense criticism from MAGA supporters after blocking a key Trump administration move to freeze billions of dollars in federal funding, highlighting a broader pattern of backlash often tinged with xenophobia against judges of Indian origin whose rulings have stalled Trump-era policies.

Federal Judge Arun Subramanian of the US District Court for the Southern District of New York on Friday issued a temporary restraining order halting the administration’s decision to freeze nearly $10 billion in federal funding for child care and social services (as known as Somalian daycares) across five Democratic-led states. 

The order followed a lawsuit by attorneys general from California, Colorado, Illinois, Minnesota and New York, who argued that the Department of Health and Human Services lacked legal authority to suspend the funds and had encroached on Congress’s power over federal spending.

The funding pause was announced earlier this week, with the administration citing alleged large-scale fraud, particularly in Minnesota’s child care subsidy programmes, as justification. President Donald Trump framed the move as part of his “America First" agenda, alleging misuse of taxpayer money. In his brief order, Judge Subramanian said the states had shown “good cause" for emergency relief, citing a likelihood of success on the merits, the risk of irreparable harm to vulnerable families, and the public interest in maintaining the flow of aid. The ruling imposed a 14-day pause to allow fuller legal arguments, without adjudicating the fraud allegations themselves.

The decision sparked a fierce online backlash from MAGA supporters. On social media, critics labelled Subramanian a “Biden appointee" and a “DEI hire," with some posts veering into overt xenophobia, including calls for his deportation despite his US citizenship. Senior Trump adviser Stephen Miller criticised the ruling, arguing it forces Americans to fund what he described as refugee-related “daycare scams."

Subramanian is not alone. Other Indian-American judges have faced similar attacks in recent months. Amit Mehta drew criticism after ruling that Trump’s “Stop the Steal" speech before the January 6 Capitol riot could plausibly be viewed as a call to action and thus not protected by the First Amendment. Vince Chhabria faced backlash after blocking the use of Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s access to healthcare data for deportation operations.

Massachusetts-based Judge Indira Talwani has also been a frequent target after repeatedly halting elements of Trump’s second-term agenda, including moves affecting migrant parole programmes and welfare benefits.

Together, these episodes underscore how judicial checks on Trump-era policies have increasingly intersected with identity-based attacks, placing Indian-American judges at the centre of a charged political and cultural confrontation.

News world Indian-American Judge Draws Racist Attacks From MAGA After Blocking Trump’s Funding Freeze

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