Great Lakes Wire

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has joined a coalition of 21 attorneys general in a lawsuit against the Trump Administration. The lawsuit challenges what it describes as illegal attempts to terminate billions of dollars in federal funding to states and other grantees. The legal action seeks to limit the administration's use of a specific regulation that allows federal agencies to end funding if it "no longer effectuates ... agency priorities."

Attorney General Nessel stated, "Whether or not Donald Trump and his administration believe it, our democracy is built on the separation of powers and the rule of law." She further emphasized the coalition's success in securing injunctions against previous actions by the White House.

The lawsuit argues that the Trump Administration's decision to invoke this regulation marks a significant shift from past practices, where grants were not terminated simply because agency priorities changed. The legal filing highlights how federal agencies have used this regulation since President Trump took office, resulting in mass terminations of grants without prior notice.

The suit is filed against several federal departments, including Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Homeland Security, Justice, Labor, State, Environmental Protection Agency, Federal Emergency Management Agency, National Endowment for the Humanities, and National Science Foundation. It seeks a declaratory judgment regarding the limitations of the regulation or alternatively requests to vacate decisions based on purported changes in agency priorities.

Nessel joins her counterparts from states such as Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware among others in this legal challenge. The case has been filed in the District of Massachusetts.

To keep informed about federal actions affecting Michigan, individuals can visit the Department of Attorney General’s Federal Actions Tracker webpage.