Overview
- A coalition of 20 Democratic-led states filed two federal lawsuits on May 13, 2025, seeking to block the Trump administration from attaching immigration enforcement conditions to billions in federal grants.
- The lawsuits argue that the administration is violating the U.S. Constitution by imposing conditions on funding that Congress appropriated without such requirements, claiming this oversteps executive authority.
- The Department of Homeland Security and Department of Transportation directives threaten funding for emergency preparedness, disaster relief, and critical infrastructure projects in non-compliant states.
- The Trump administration defends the directives, asserting that jurisdictions refusing to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement should not receive federal funding.
- State attorneys general warn that the threatened funding cuts could undermine disaster response, public safety, and infrastructure projects, posing imminent risks to their communities.