Nigeria: Trump administration agrees to freeze $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization fund” after court order
By Zuleihat Owuiye, Nigeria
The U.S. Justice Department has agreed to temporarily freeze a $1.8 billion compensation package created by the Trump administration, following a federal court order that blocked further action on the controversial fund.
In a statement posted on X on Monday, June 1, 2026, the Justice Department said it “disagrees strongly” with the ruling by U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema but will comply while the case proceeds. Judge Brinkema barred the administration last week from creating or operating the fund ahead of a June 12 court hearing.
The fund, dubbed the “Anti-Weaponization Fund” by the administration, was established as part of an extraordinary settlement of former President Donald Trump’s civil lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service over the leak of his tax returns by a former government contractor.
The Justice Department said the fund was “established in order to make up for the tremendous abuse, harm, and hate unfairly shown to so many people.” Officials described it as open to anyone who had been “weaponized, targeted, or persecuted,” regardless of political affiliation — Democrat, Republican, Conservative, Independent, or otherwise.
The administration framed the fund as compensation for victims of government “weaponization” and “lawfare,” terms President Trump has used to describe what he calls politically motivated targeting of conservatives and his supporters.
Judge Brinkema’s order came in response to a lawsuit from plaintiffs who argued that the fund amounted to a “collusive agreement” between Trump and his administration, with “no congressional authorization, no basis in law, and no accountability.”
The plaintiffs include law enforcement officers who clashed with rioters during the January 6, 2021 assault on the U.S. Capitol, as well as government oversight groups. They contend the fund lacks a clear legal basis, offers little public oversight, and could be used to reward political loyalists, including defendants convicted in connection with the Capitol attack.
On Trump’s first day back in office in 2025, he pardoned more than 1,500 people convicted for their roles in the January 6 assault, an effort aimed at overturning Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory. Critics have warned that the compensation fund could extend financial benefits to some of those same individuals.
The fund has become politically toxic, drawing criticism not only from Democrats but also from some Republicans. Senate Republican leaders recently postponed a vote on a major bill funding Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Border Patrol, partly due to concerns that the fund could allow January 6 defendants to receive taxpayer money.
U.S. media outlets, including Axios, have reported that the Trump administration is now planning to drop the fund entirely. “It’s dead for now,” Axios quoted a source as saying. When asked by AFP to comment on those reports, the White House responded by linking to the Justice Department’s X post confirming it would abide by the court’s ruling.
The legal battle over the fund will continue at a June 12 hearing before Judge Brinkema. The Justice Department maintains that the fund is lawful and necessary to address what it calls systemic abuse of government power. Opponents argue it represents an improper use of executive authority and taxpayer resources.
For now, the $1.8 billion package remains frozen, and the administration cannot take further steps to create or distribute payments until the court decides the fund’s fate.
