Federal courts are pausing high-profile civil lawsuits against the Trump administration in response to the government shutdown that began early Wednesday , as agencies begin cutting back on non-essential legal work to conserve resources.

The Justice Department announced that while criminal prosecutions will continue uninterrupted, the shutdown “effectively eliminated” its ability to handle most civil litigation. One such case involves legal challenges to Trump’s policy restrictions on homelessness and domestic violence grants. In a Rhode Island lawsuit over federal grant terminations, DOJ lawyers told the court they “regret the necessity” of asking for a pause in proceedings due to the funding lapse.

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