Great Lakes Wire

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has filed a lawsuit, joined by 11 other states and the Governor of Kentucky, against Secretary Kristi Noem, the Department of Homeland Security, Secretary David Richardson, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The coalition claims that the federal government is interfering with grants already promised to states for emergency management, disaster relief, and homeland security operations.

“The Trump Administration should be working with states to keep our residents safe,” Nessel said. “Instead, the White House continues again and again to pull the rug out from under us, putting the safety of our communities in jeopardy. Congress created FEMA to ensure the federal government would stand with the people it serves in times of crisis, not abandon them. Only Congress—not the president—has the authority to scale back that mission, and as promised, each and every time this administration acts unlawfully and harms the people of Michigan, I will take legal action on behalf of the people of our state.”

According to Nessel’s office, since January there have been efforts by the Trump Administration to reduce FEMA’s role in emergencies by denying or restricting requests for emergency declarations, withholding grant funding, and adding new requirements to long-standing FEMA grants. Some previous attempts were successfully challenged in court; one such case resulted in more than $100 million being reimbursed to Michigan State Police.

The lawsuit focuses on terms added by federal agencies to two key programs: the Emergency Management Performance Grant (EMPG) and Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP). The coalition argues these terms are illegal and make it difficult for states to access or use funds as previously agreed upon. These grants support much of Michigan’s emergency management system—including active shooter trainings for law enforcement and school personnel—and help cover overtime costs for state police officers.

The coalition also contends that a funding hold was placed on one grant while timelines for spending money under both programs were changed without proper explanation or following required procedures. They argue these changes go beyond what is legally allowed and limit states’ ability to carry out projects using these funds.

Attorneys general from Arizona, Colorado, Hawai’i, Maine, Maryland, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Wisconsin join Nessel in this lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court for Oregon. The Governor of Kentucky is also participating.

A video statement from Attorney General Nessel about this lawsuit is available online for public use.