The Trump administration is releasing over $5 billion in federal K–12 education funding it had withheld for weeks, sparking criticism from both sides of the aisle.

The freeze, which affected programs for migrant students, teacher training, English language learning, and after-school support, drew swift backlash. A group of Democratic-led states filed lawsuits, while ten Republican senators urged the White House to reverse course.

Initially claiming the funds were being misused to support a "radical left-wing agenda," the administration launched a review but ultimately offered no public findings. Now, with the review complete, the Department of Education says all the funds will be distributed to states next week.

While the White House says “guardrails” will be in place, it hasn’t clarified what that means. Of the $6.8 billion originally frozen, $1.3 billion was quietly released last week.

Republican lawmakers welcomed the decision to lift the freeze. Democrats, however, argued the disruption was unnecessary from the start.

Education Secretary Linda McMahon expressed satisfaction with the review’s outcome and said she doesn’t expect future funding holds.