"Let's be clear, January 20th was an inauguration, not a coronation. Congress is given the power to appropriate the funding. The executive branch cannot unilaterally disregard those appropriations," Raoul said.

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul on Tuesday said the Trump administration's move to freeze funding for federal assistance programs is an unconstitutional violation of the separation of powers between the White House and Congress.

The Trump administration’s surprise federal funding freeze spurred discord and pushback in Illinois even as a judge temporarily blocked the effort.

The freeze on federal funding and grants has wide-ranging implications and impacts everything from funding for child care, university research and roads and bridges.

A White House memo directs agencies to conduct an analysis to ensure that spending is in line with Trump’s edicts to end “wokeness” and to make government more efficient. Trillions of dollars are potentially under review.

President Donald Trump's administration's funding freeze order was paused by a judge, and Gov. J.B. Pritzker blasted the executive order as "illegal."