A federal judge on Thursday told the administration it must restore AmeriCorps, the government’s national service program, saying the Trump team cut too many legal corners in trying to close it.

Judge Deborah Boardman, a Biden appointee to the U.S. District Court in Maryland, said that means rehiring fired employees in the National Civilian Community Corps and restarting grant money that was cut off.

“The AmeriCorps state and national program has been gutted, leaving the states with a sudden and unexpected lack of necessary funding; the state service commissions have been left reeling; and tens of thousands of Americans volunteering to serve their fellow countrymen have been sent home,” the judge said in ruling the Trump shutdown went too far.

Her preliminary injunction applies to nearly $400 million in grants covering more than 1,000 programs and tens of thousands of workers.

But she didn’t reverse cuts within AmeriCorps’ agency staff, finding the states that brought the challenge didn’t have legal standing to sue over that aspect.

Still, the Democratic states that brought the case hailed the decision.

“This ruling safeguards these life-changing services that help build a better Maryland,” said Anthony Brown, the attorney general of Maryland, who led the challenge.

The Trump team imposed the cuts in April.

Judge Boardman said the changes the Trump team attempted ignored the law governing AmeriCorps.

“Before AmeriCorps could make any significant changes to service delivery, it first had to engage in notice-and-comment rulemaking,” the judge ruled.

• Stephen Dinan can be reached at sdinan@washingtontimes.com.