As reported by Reuters, a coalition of Democratic attorney generals plans to challenge a sweeping directive from the Trump administration that aims to temporarily suspend federal loans, grants, and other financial support. A lawsuit, set to be filed on Tuesday (Jan. 28) by states such as New York, California, and Massachusetts, targets a policy issued Monday (Jan. 27) by Matthew Vaeth, the acting head of the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

Speaking at a virtual press conference, NY Attorney General Letitia James sharply criticized the measure, describing it as “reckless, dangerous, illegal and unconstitutional.” “The president does not get to decide which laws to enforce and for whom,” she added. According to James, the Trump-led directive already obstructed at least 20 states, including her own, from accessing the payment system for Medicaid, a federal program that provides health insurance to low-income individuals.

Advocacy groups have also initiated legal action. Earlier on Tuesday, several nonprofits and small business organizations filed a separate case in federal court in Washington, D.C., warning that the freeze “will have a devastating impact on hundreds of thousands of grant recipients.” They further contended that the directive infringes on grant recipients’ constitutional rights to free speech and association under the First Amendment. The collective, which includes the National Council of Nonprofits, the American Public Health Association, Main Street Alliance and SAGE, urged the court to immediately halt the directive, which was scheduled to take effect at 5 p.m. ET.

Press secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the policy during her first White House press briefing. “This is not a blanket pause on federal assistance and grant programs from the Trump administration,” she claimed before explaining how the pause was directed more at Democratic priorities rather than across-the-board cuts. “If they feel that programs are necessary and in line with the president’s agenda, then the Office of Management and Budget will review those policies.” Leavitt notably did not directly answer questions about whether Medicaid funding would be affected by the order.