"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 Raoul discusses how the Trump administration is impacting Illinois, including on immigration and a federal funding freeze.

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

A federal judge temporarily halted President Donald Trump's move to freeze all federal grants pending an analysis to root out "wokeness" in federal spending. But confusion reigned Tuesday in Chicago and beyond as leaders braced for serious potential cuts to an array of major programs.

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.