Trump administration freezes aid for low-income Colorado families
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President Trump speaks as he departs the White House in December. Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images
The Trump administration is freezing $10 billion in funds for child care and low-income families in five blue states — including Colorado, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) confirmed to Axios.
Why it matters: The move hits programs that support child care, job training and basic assistance for thousands of Colorado families — and escalates President Trump's pressure campaign against Democratic state leaders.
State of play: Trump has threatened "harsh measures" against Colorado unless the state releases convicted election denier Tina Peters from state prison.
- The funding freeze follows the president's first veto last week that blocked a drinking water project in eastern Colorado.
The latest: Funding for the Child Care Development Fund and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) is being suspended for Colorado, California, Illinois, Minnesota and New York, the New York Post first reported.
- An OMB official said the freeze is tied to alleged fraud and claims that funds were going to undocumented immigrants.
The intrigue: The official pointed to fraud cases in several of the affected states in recent years — many already prosecuted or charged. Notably, Colorado was not among them.
Zoom in: It's still unclear how much money Colorado stands to lose, but the stakes appear high.
- The state receives about $135.6 million in TANF block grant funding, plus roughly $16 million in contingency funds, Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS) spokesperson Haysel Hernandez tells Axios Denver.
- In December alone, more than 14,000 Colorado families received TANF-funded services.
What they're saying: As of Monday afternoon, state officials said they had not been formally notified of the funding freeze by the Trump administration.
- "If true, it would be awful to see the federal government targeting the most needy families and children this way," Gov. Jared Polis' spokesperson Shelby Wieman told us.
- CDHS said the agency remains "committed to supporting our families" and would continue advocating for programs that help Coloradans become self-sufficient should the funding sources change.