A federal judge ruled Monday it was illegal for the Trump administration to cancel several hundred research grants, adding that the cuts raise serious questions about racial discrimination. US District Judge William Young in Massachusetts said the administration’s process was “arbitrary and capricious” and that it did not follow long-held government rules and standards when it abruptly canceled grants deemed to focus on gender identity

A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to restore hundreds of grants from the National Institutes of Health that were cut over “disfavored topics and populations,” including diversity, equity and inclusion, according to published reports.

Judge William Young expressed frustration over the government’s criteria for terminating hundreds of medical research grants.