Ali, who has been on the bench for less than four months, rose to national prominence in February when he blocked President Donald Trump’s 90-day funding freeze, becoming one of several federal judges across the country to strike down one of Trump’s executive orders.

The ruling found the move to cut off appropriated funds to state governments “fundamentally undermines” democracy.

A federal judge on Thursday blocked the Trump administration's attempts to pause federal funding programs in response to a lawsuit filed by Oregon, the District of Columbia and 21 other states.