DOJ Halts $1.8 Billion Anti-Weaponization Fund

On June 2 2026 Justice Department announced it will obey a federal court injunction that temporarily blocks the Trump administration’s $1.776 billion anti-weaponization fund. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told Congress the program “is no longer moving forward.” Pause coincides with primaries in Iowa and California.

DOJ will pause $1.8 billion fund, per court order. And, key primaries to watch today

President Trump proposed the fund in early 2026 to compensate individuals who say federal agencies targeted them. The administration called it redress for “anti-weaponization” of government. Critics warned it would act as a slush-pot, channeling nearly $1.8 billion of taxpayer money to supporters and to Jan. 6 rioters.

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Key actors are President Donald Trump, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, and Bill Pulte, appointed acting director of national intelligence—a role law says requires “extensive national security experience.” A minority of Senate Republicans opposed the fund, while Democratic lawmakers and Democracy Forward sued to block it.

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The fund totals $1.776 billion (often cited as $1.8 billion). Six states held primaries on June 2.

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Blanche said DOJ must follow court’s injunction, which “halts allocation of the anti-weaponization money.” Trump defended the program as compensation for alleged federal overreach and called the pause a “politically motivated” interference. Senate Republicans warned the fund could reward Jan. 6 participants, affecting other administration priorities.

DOJ will pause $1.8 billion fund, per court order. And, key primaries to watch today

Democrats called the fund a “slush fund” that would channel money to allies. Republican critics warned it could legitimize payments to Jan. 6 rioters. Groups condemned the “aliens.gov” website for dehumanizing language toward undocumented immigrants, as noted by Ernesto Castañeda.

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• “776 billion anti-weaponization fund are no longer moving forward.” — Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, to Congress

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• “Trump announced yesterday that he is appointing Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte as the acting director of national intelligence.” — President Donald Trump

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• “extensive national security experience,” — Language of the law establishing the director of national intelligence position after 9/11

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• “for a few people, it may be another license to act violently against people that they may think are aliens, undocumented. They may be another incitement to hate crimes and to profiling people.” — Ernesto Castañeda, director, Center for Latin American and Latino Studies, American University

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Sources list the fund’s size as $1.776 billion and $1.8 billion interchangeably. No timeline has been given for a possible reinstatement, leaving the scope of any future payouts uncertain.

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The injunction underscores intra-party GOP dissent and shows how courts can stall executive programs. With midterms looming, the dispute may shape voter views of Trump’s agenda and affect Senate debates on related legislation, such as immigration enforcement and national-security appointments.

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Legal teams may appeal, and Senate committees may hold hearings on the fund’s legality. Bill Pulte will serve as acting director of national intelligence without Senate confirmation, a move expected to draw scrutiny as primaries close and the 2026 election cycle intensifies.

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