Judge Blocks NCAR Breakup, Freezing Supercomputer Transfer in 38-Page Rebuke of Trump Officials
Updated
Updated · The Colorado Sun · Jun 1
Judge Blocks NCAR Breakup, Freezing Supercomputer Transfer in 38-Page Rebuke of Trump Officials
4 articles · Updated · The Colorado Sun · Jun 1
Senior U.S. District Judge R. Brooke Jackson barred the National Science Foundation from transferring NCAR’s supercomputing center to the University of Wyoming, finding UCAR likely to win its challenge.
Jackson’s 38-page injunction said the NSF acted arbitrarily and ignored required procedures, offering no explanation for the divestment and bypassing its own public-feedback process.
UCAR showed irreparable harm was already underway: the center had lost a significant number of supercomputing experts and risked further departures, closure of the facility and mass layoffs.
The ruling accepted UCAR’s argument that the breakup was political retaliation against Colorado, noting the plan accelerated after Trump criticized Gov. Jared Polis over Tina Peters and OMB Director Russell Vought announced the move.
Jackson said weakening the center would endanger forecasting and modeling systems relied on by the U.S. military, federal agencies and private-sector partners while the lawsuit proceeds.
With its top experts already gone, can a vital US science center recover after a judge's last-minute save?
Will this court ruling set a new precedent for protecting scientific institutions from abrupt government policy shifts?
Federal Judge Blocks Trump Administration’s Attempted Breakup of NCAR: Legal Ruling Safeguards Nation’s Climate Supercomputing Center
Overview
In December 2025, the Trump administration announced a plan to dismantle parts of the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) and transfer its supercomputing center, motivated by goals to reduce 'climate alarmism,' reshape federal climate research, and target DEI programs. This move was widely seen as political retaliation against Colorado. In response, UCAR filed a lawsuit in March 2026, alleging procedural violations and unconstitutional retaliation. On June 1, 2026, a federal judge issued an injunction halting the breakup, citing political motivations and the risk of irreparable harm to national scientific operations, ensuring NCAR’s continued stability while the legal battle proceeds.