A federal judge has ruled that the cuts made by DOGE to over 1,400 grants approved by the National Endowment for the Humanities were unconstitutional. Judge Colleen McMahon ordered DOGE to rescind these cancellations in a ruling in favor of two lawsuits arguing that the cuts violated both the First and Fifth Amendments.

The injury caused extends beyond financial loss, as it includes disruptions to protected expression, ongoing research, publication programs, and an overall chilling effect due to viewpoint-based criteria used in terminating grants. The NEH’s chairman was dismissed last year, leading to cuts of over $100 million by Michael McDonald, the acting chair appointed under the Biden administration.

The lawsuits drew attention when documents revealed that two DOGE employees had used ChatGPT to screen grants, looking for keywords like “L.G.B.T.Q.,” “BIPOC,” and “equality.” The employees admitted they lacked background in the humanities or government but believed in DOGE’s mission of reducing ‘useless small agencies.’