Overview
- A coalition of 20 Democratic-led states filed two federal lawsuits challenging Trump administration policies conditioning federal grants on cooperation with immigration enforcement.
- The lawsuits target memos issued by DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and DOT Secretary Sean Duffy, which threaten to withhold billions in transportation and disaster relief funds.
- State attorneys general argue the policies exceed executive authority, violate the Spending Clause, and undermine Congress’s control over federal appropriations.
- California Attorney General Rob Bonta called the conditions an illegal effort to coerce states into enforcing federal immigration policies, jeopardizing public safety and infrastructure projects.
- The lawsuits, filed in Rhode Island, seek injunctions to prevent what states describe as imminent funding cuts that would harm emergency preparedness and critical services.