Beneficiaries of federal grants and loans were scrambling on Tuesday to determine whether their funding would be cut off by the new administration.

The Trump administration has temporarily paused grant, loan and other financial assistance programs, according to a memo.

A coalition of Democratic state attorneys general announced legal action against the White House budget office Tuesday over its directive to freeze federal assistance while reviewing whether

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt vehemently defended the administration’s sweeping freeze on federal aid, arguing Tuesday in her first press briefing that it was critical to scrutinize the scope of the government’s spending.

Democrats are crying foul as the White House budget office pauses all grants and loans disbursed by the federal government to ensure its programs are consistent with President Donald Trump’s executive orders.