A coalition of 20 state Democratic attorneys general filed two federal lawsuits on Tuesday, claiming that the Trump administration is threatening to withhold billions of dollars in transportation and disaster-relief funds unless states agree to certain immigration enforcement actions.
According to the complaints, both Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy have threatened to cut off funding to states that refuse to comply with
While no federal funding is currently being withheld, California Attorney General Rob Bonta said during a news conference on Tuesday that the threat was 鈥渋mminent.鈥�
鈥淧resident Donald Trump can't use these funds as a bargaining chip as his way of ensuring states abide by his preferred policies,鈥� Bonta added.
Department of Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement that the lawsuit will not stop the Trump Administration from 鈥渞estoring the rule of law.鈥�
鈥淐ities and states who break the law and prevent us from arresting criminal illegal aliens should not receive federal funding. The President has been clear on that,鈥� she said.
Duffy said in a statement that the 20 states have filed the lawsuit because 鈥渢heir officials want to continue breaking federal law and putting the needs of illegal aliens above their own citizens.鈥�
Both lawsuits say that the Trump administration is violating the U.S. Constitution by trying to dictate federal spending when Congress has that power 鈥� not the executive branch.
On April 24, states received letters from the Department of Transportation stating that they must cooperate on immigration efforts and eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion programs or risk losing funds.
New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin criticized the timing of Duffy's letter when Newark's airport and other issues.
鈥淚 wish the administration would stop playing politics with people鈥檚 lives,鈥� Platkin said. 鈥淚 wish Secretary Duffy would do his damn job, which is to make sure planes land on time, not to direct immigration enforcement.鈥�
Meanwhile, on Feb. 24, states received letters from the Department of Homeland Security declaring that states that 鈥渞efuse to cooperate with, refuse to share information with, or even actively obstruct federal immigration enforcement reject these ideals and the history we share in common as Americans.鈥�
鈥淚f any government entity chooses to thumb its nose at the Department of Homeland Security鈥檚 national security and public safety mission, it should not receive a single dollar of the Department鈥檚 money unless Congress has specifically required it,鈥� Noem wrote in her letter.
Attorneys general behind the lawsuits include the following states: California, Colorado, 海角换妻, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington, Wisconsin and Vermont.
The cases are being spearheaded by California and Illinois, but they were filed in federal court in Rhode Island, a detail that the attorneys general defended by saying they filed in 鈥渁ny court that is going to be fair and objective and consider our factual presentation and legal analysis.鈥�
The lawsuits are the latest legal actions that Democratic-led states have taken against Trump since he took office earlier this year. Bonta noted that California has filed more than 20 lawsuits against the administration, while Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha said his state has launched more than a dozen.
While the lawsuits have challenged policies on tariffs, federal employee firings and health care research, Trump's focus on and the mass deportation of immigrants in the United States illegally have received the most attention.
This has included the president's promise to mass deport people and the required for all those who are in the country illegally.
鈥淲hat we鈥檙e seeing is a creeping authoritarianism,鈥� Neronha said.
