Federal Accountability

BURLINGAME – California Attorney General Rob Bonta, California Governor Gavin Newsom, California Department of Transportation, and the California Energy Commission, today co-led a coalition of 17 attorneys general in filing a lawsuit against the Trump Administration for unlawfully withholding billions of dollars in funding approved by bipartisan majorities in Congress for electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure that would reduce planet-warming pollution, expand access to clean vehicles, and create thousands of green jobs. Under the direction of the President, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) issued a directive to thwart Congress’s $5 billion program, the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) formula program, which would expand EV charging infrastructure nationwide. This directive purports to revoke the approval of all prior state EV infrastructure plans and withholds the distribution of federal funds to states. Specifically, in California, FHWA’s unlawful actions would cost the state more than $300 million, eliminate thousands of good-paying jobs, and dismantle a critical, emerging tech industry. 

“The President continues his unconstitutional attempts to withhold funding that Congress appropriated to programs he dislikes. This time he’s illegally stripping away billions of dollars for electric vehicle charging infrastructure, all to line the pockets of his Big Oil friends,” said Attorney General Rob Bonta. “The facts don’t lie: The demand for clean transportation continues to rise, and California will be at the forefront of this transition to a more sustainable, low-emissions future. California will not back down, not from Big Oil, and not from federal overreach.”

“When America retreats, China wins. President Trump’s illegal action withholding funds for electric vehicle infrastructure is yet another Trump gift to China – ceding American innovation and killing thousands of jobs,” said Governor Gavin Newsom. “Instead of hawking Teslas on the White House lawn, President Trump could actually help Elon – and the nation – by following the law and releasing this bipartisan funding.” 

“California remains fully committed to developing a robust, reliable and accessible EV charging network which will help improve air quality and enhance the EV driving experience for all," said California Energy Commission Chair David Hochschild.

“Withholding funding now would be wasteful, illegal, performative, and only serve to delay the progress we’ve made in building a cleaner, more sustainable transportation future,” said California Transportation Secretary Toks Omishakin. “We will continue to stand up for Californians and the nation because the future of the planet depends on it.”

In 2022, Congress passed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. One provision of the IIJA appropriated $5 billion for NEVI to facilitate a national network of electric vehicle charging infrastructure across the states, making clean cars accessible and convenient for more consumers and markets. On Day One, President Trump issued an executive order directing federal agencies to immediately stop releasing certain funds appropriated through the IIJA, including $5 billion that Congress appropriated for electric vehicle charging stations under NEVI. Following that directive, FHWA effectively halted the NEVI program by, among other things, withholding billions in funds that Congress had directed to the States for building EV infrastructure.

California continues to lead the nation in the adoption of zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) and the development of supporting infrastructure to rapidly deploy funds to develop and ensure a reliable and easy-to-use charging network. To date, over 2 million ZEVs have been sold in California, representing more than 30% of all ZEVs sold in the United States. 

The California Energy Commission anticipates that California will need several hundred thousand more EV charging ports to support light-duty cars and trucks and incrementally more charging ports for medium- and heavy-duty trucks and buses to meet climate goals. California’s State Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Deployment Plan, approved by the federal government, would leverage public funding and private investment to build out a statewide charging infrastructure, including $384 million from the NEVI program.

The complaint filed today alleges that the NEVI directive was arbitrary and capricious and not in accordance with law under the federal Administrative Procedure Act, and in violation of the U.S. Constitution. The NEVI program was created by statute, and, as it is a formula program, the amounts due to states are allocated by Congress, not the President. The complaint asks the court to declare that the NEVI directive is unlawful and to permanently stop the administration from withholding the funds. The states also seek a preliminary injunction to halt the illegal withholding of NEVI funds to the states.

Attorney General Bonta co-led the lawsuit with the attorneys general of Washington and Colorado, and was joined in the filing by the attorneys general of Arizona, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Wisconsin, Vermont, and the District of Columbia.

A copy of the complaint is available here. A copy of the motion for preliminary injunction is available here. 

Continues to secure vital relief in lawsuits challenging the Trump Administration’s unlawful actions 

OAKLAND – California Attorney General Rob Bonta today issued a statement on the decision by the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island granting a preliminary injunction stopping the dismantling of several federal agencies, including the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the Minority Business Development Agency, and the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, while litigation continues. This is the second preliminary injunction Attorney General Bonta has secured in litigation challenging the Trump Administration’s unlawful actions in a matter of hours. 

“The Trump Administration is attempting to dismantle critical federal agencies without any consideration for the Americans that rely on the programs and services these agencies provide,” said Attorney General Bonta. “It’s not just damaging – it’s also illegal. I am pleased with this latest decision by a court blocking the President’s unlawful actions, and I look forward to continuing to make our case in court. California will always fight to protect our public libraries and museums and the facts, knowledge, and cultural heritage they provide.”

BACKGROUND

On April 4, 2025, Attorney General Bonta and a multistate coalition filed a lawsuit challenging the Trump Administration’s unlawful executive order directing several congressionally established agencies, including the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the Minority Business Development Agency, and the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, to eliminate every component and function not required by statute and reduce their statutorily required functions and associated staff to the minimum required by law. The executive order also directs the Office of Management and Budget to deny these agencies authorization to spend federal funds already allocated by Congress for any functions beyond the minimum required by statute. 

A copy of the decision granting the motion for a preliminary injunction is available here. 

OAKLAND – California Attorney General Rob Bonta today issued a statement on the decision by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York granting a preliminary injunction to prevent the federal government from rescinding access to hundreds of millions of dollars in vital education funding while litigation proceeds. In California alone, over $200 million in previously awarded and obligated funding is at stake – funding that school districts are already putting to use for programs such as afterschool and summer learning initiatives, the purchase of educational technology, and the provision of mental health services and support.  

“The Trump Administration continues to break the law, and we continue to hold him accountable,” said Attorney General Bonta. “I’m pleased by the court’s decision today allowing vital education funding to continue to flow into our schools while our case continues. We will not stop fighting to ensure these unlawful, nonsensical funding cuts never see the light of day. Our students deserve nothing less.”

BACKGROUND 

On March 28, 2025, Education Secretary Linda McMahon notified state departments of education that the U.S. Department of Education had unilaterally rescinded access to previously awarded and obligated education funding that is currently being used by school districts to support the academic recovery of students following the COVID-19 pandemic. These programs and services address, among other things, the impact of lost instructional time; students’ academic, social, and emotional needs; and the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on economically-disadvantaged students,  including homeless children and children in foster care.  

On April 10, 2025, Attorney General Rob Bonta and a coalition of states challenged the Department of Education’s actions. The states argue that the Department’s decision to rescind access to this funding is arbitrary and capricious in violation of the Administrative Procedures Act, exceeds the Department’s statutory and regulatory authority under the law, and will cause immediate and devastating harm to school districts in California and across the nation.

A copy of the court's order is available here.

OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta and Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford today led a coalition of 19 attorneys general in filing a motion for a preliminary injunction to block the Trump Administration from implementing Executive Order No. 14248 (Executive Order), an unconstitutional, antidemocratic, and un-American attempt to impose sweeping voting restrictions across the country. Among other things, the Executive Order attempts to conscript state election officials in the President’s campaign to impose documentary proof of citizenship requirements for voter registration, force States to ignore mail ballots that are cast by Election Day but received by election officials just days afterward, and withhold various streams of federal funding from the States if they fail to comply.  

On April 3, the attorneys general filed a lawsuit challenging the Executive Order. The lawsuit underscores that the power to regulate elections rests exclusively with the States and Congress — not the President. Since then, the Trump Administration has begun taking steps to implement the Executive Order. In their motion for a preliminary injunction, the attorneys general argue that they are likely to win on the merits of their lawsuit, that their States have unique and profound interests at stake in the litigation, and that their States will suffer irreparable harms without court-ordered relief. 

“Last month, my fellow attorneys general and I sued President Trump over his unconstitutional elections Executive Order. We are now back in court because our States are facing imminent and concrete harms,” said Attorney General Bonta. “Elections don’t just happen overnight — States must devote significant resources and countless hours of preparation to make them happen. The Executive Order threatens to disrupt that process, to the detriment of California and its voters, so we are asking the court to halt its implementation.”

In their motion for a preliminary injunction, the attorneys general explain that the Executive Order acutely injures their States’ compelling interest in preserving the integrity of their election processes. For instance, the documentary proof of citizenship requirements have necessitated an immediate response from some state elections officials, who must consider how to carry out their voter registration duties subject to the new requirements by meeting with their staff, speaking with local elections officials, and beginning to plan for a near future with the requirements in place — or risk the loss of federal funding. In addition, to force States to comply with the new ballot receipt deadline, the Executive Order uses enforcement threats by the United States Attorney General and conditions on funding. And, to properly administer elections in line with that new ballot receipt deadline, state elections administrators must devote significant additional resources to training, education, and support of local elections officials and the voting public.  

In filing today’s motion for a preliminary injunction, Attorneys General Bonta and Ford are joined by the attorneys general of Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Wisconsin. 

A copy of the motion can be found here.

Impeding wind development threatens economic growth and climate progress

OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta, as part of a coalition of 18 attorneys general, today filed a lawsuit against the Trump Administration over its unlawful attempt to freeze the development of offshore wind energy. Attorney General Bonta and the multistate coalition allege that the President’s directive harms their states’ efforts to secure reliable, diversified, and affordable sources of energy to meet their increasing demand for electricity and help reduce emissions of harmful air pollutants, meet clean energy goals, and address climate change. The attorneys general also allege that the moratorium threatens to thwart the states’ significant investments in wind industry infrastructure, supply chains, and workforce development — investments that already total billions of dollars.

“The Trump Administration’s directive to halt the development of offshore wind energy is illegal,” said Attorney General Bonta. “This reckless directive will not only reverse America’s progress in clean energy initiatives, but our communities will also suffer the economic consequences of the President’s misguided lawlessness. The President has promised that his actions would lower energy costs, but instead, energy prices have only gone up and will continue to skyrocket. In California, we will continue to hold the President accountable for breaking the law and protect our significant progress in expanding cleaner, cheaper energy for American families.”  

On January 20, President Trump issued a Presidential Memorandum that, among other things, indefinitely halted all federal approvals necessary for the development of offshore and onshore wind energy projects pending federal review. Pursuant to this directive, federal agencies have stopped all permitting and approval activities. Wind energy is a homegrown source of reliable, affordable energy that supports hundreds of thousands of jobs, creates billions of dollars in economic activity and tax payments, and already supplies more than 10% of the country’s electricity.  

In addition to relying on onshore wind energy, in California, there are also currently five federal offshore wind leases off of California’s coast. Two are located offshore by Humboldt, while the remaining three are offshore from Morro Bay. These new developments are designed to bring substantial amounts of clean energy to the grid, including enough to power 1.6 million homes and potentially more. The President’s directive will not only derail the clean energy transition, but will also threaten to increase consumer energy costs. The President’s directive also jeopardizes substantial economic benefits to California, including the creation of thousands of union jobs, increased tax revenue particularly in the Humboldt area, and the provision of more than $50 million to support communities, Native American Tribes, or other interested parties that are expected to be affected by the lease development.

Through the lawsuit, the attorneys general allege that the President’s directive and federal agencies’ subsequent implementation of it violate multiple federal laws, including the Administrative Procedure Act. The attorneys general are asking the Court to declare the President’s directive illegal and prevent the Administration from taking any action to delay or prevent wind energy development. 

Attorney General Bonta joins the attorneys general of New York, Massachusetts, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Washington, in filing the lawsuit.

A copy of the complaint is available here.  

17th lawsuit against Trump Administration asks court to block implementation of “Make America Healthy Again” Directive

OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta today joined a coalition of 20 attorneys general in filing a lawsuit against the Trump Administration challenging the unlawful mass firing of roughly 10,000 full-time U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) employees, the consolidation of 28 HHS divisions into 15 divisions, and the closing of half of HHS’s ten regional offices — including one in San Francisco. Announced on March 27, these actions were part of HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s Directive to “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA Directive). In their lawsuit, the attorneys general argue that the MAHA Directive is arbitrary and capricious and contrary to law in violation of the Administrative Procedure Act (APA), is beyond the scope of presidential power, and violates the Appropriations Clause and Separation of Powers doctrine of the U.S. Constitution. Accordingly, they ask the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island to declare the MAHA Directive unconstitutional and illegal, and to block its implementation in order to undo the mass firings, reverse the illegal reorganization, and restore the critical health services that millions of Americans depend on.  

“The Trump Administration does not have the power to incapacitate a department that Congress created, nor can it decline to spend funds that were appropriated by Congress for that department. That’s why my fellow attorneys general and I are taking the Trump Administration to court — HHS is under attack, and we won’t stand for it,” said Attorney General Bonta. “Our States, and our people, are facing real harms as a result of the MAHA Directive. We look forward to making our case in court.”   

Congress has passed dozens of laws for HHS to enforce and authorized HHS to spend about $1.8 trillion in 2024 alone because, in Congress’s judgment, the work of the Department is that critical. The MAHA Directive has had devastating consequences on HHS’s core mission to protect the health and well-being of all Americans. Following the MAHA Directive, work across several agencies within HHS came to a halt overnight. Further, the MAHA Directive layoffs compounded staff departures through a series of so-called “buy-out” offers, meaning that all told, in the last three months, HHS has lost roughly 20,000 of the 82,000 employees who were working at the agency as of January 2025. In addition, workers across the country can no longer reliably access N95 masks following the closure of the nation’s only federal mask approval laboratory. Key Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) infectious disease laboratories have also been shuttered, including those responsible for testing and tracking measles, effectively halting the federal government’s ability to monitor the disease nationwide.

In their lawsuit, the attorneys general argue that: 

• Long before he was nominated by President Trump to lead HHS, Secretary Kennedy had a history of spinning conspiracy theories about the Department and advocating for the evisceration of the Department’s statutorily mandated work promoting public health.
• The MAHA Directive has caused substantial harm to their States. Among other things, the regional staff who were fired helped to provide critical support to early childhood programs within the Administration for Children and Families like Head Start. If Head Start programs in their States are forced to pause operations or close, hundreds of thousands of children (and their families) would be left without child care, early education, and health supports, which would inevitably impact and strain their States’ social support programs.
• The MAHA Directive has disabled HHS from performing its regulatory and enforcement functions. For example, the Office of Compliance and Enforcement within the Center for Tobacco Products — a subagency within HHS — typically filed more than 100 complaints a week seeking civil monetary penalties against retailers that repeatedly sold tobacco to customers under 21, in violation of federal law. The MAHA Directive wiped out the Office of Compliance and Enforcement, straining the ability of remaining staff to seek penalties. 

In filing today’s lawsuit, Attorney General Bonta joins the attorneys general of Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawai’i, Illinois, Maine, Michigan, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia. 

A copy of the complaint can be found here.

OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta today announced co-leading a coalition of 21 attorneys general in filing an amicus brief in support of non-profit housing organizations harmed by the Trump Administration’s unlawful cancellation of Fair Housing Initiatives Program (FHIP) grants. Congress established FHIP in 1988, requiring the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to provide funds to non-profit housing organizations that carry out investigatory, enforcement, education, and outreach activities aimed at rooting out discrimination in the provision of housing. Congress has specifically appropriated funds to HUD for this purpose every year since FHIP’s inception. 

On February 27, HUD cancelled 78 preexisting FHIP grants — totaling approximately $30 million — effective immediately and with no prior warning. HUD offered no rationale for its action beyond a blanket assertion that the decision was made at the direction of President Trump and the Department of Government Efficiency because the grants purportedly “no longer effectuate…the program goals or agency priorities.” Three non-profit housing organizations that receive FHIP grants subsequently filed a class-action lawsuit — Massachusetts Fair Housing Center v. HUD — against the Trump Administration on behalf of all similarly situated organizations that had FHIP grants terminated on February 27. California is home to at least 7 fair housing organizations whose FHIP funds would be terminated. 

“As I’ve said over and over again, the Trump Administration is not above the law. My fellow attorneys general and I are proud to be supporting non-profit organizations that Congress tasked to root out housing discrimination in our communities. The termination of these grants was illegal, and they must be reinstated,” said Attorney General Bonta. “The stakes are high — many of these non-profit organizations would be forced to close their doors without the grants and our states would suffer severe harms in tackling housing discrimination.” 

On March 26, 2025, the class of non-profit housing organizations secured a temporary restraining order from the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts requiring the Trump Administration to continue providing the FHIP grants. The court, however, later dissolved the temporary restraining order and the non-profit housing organizations are currently asking that it be reinstated.  

In the amicus brief, which was filed in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, the attorneys general argue that: 

• If allowed to take effect, HUD’s sudden and unlawful action will immediately and severely upend the important work of these FHIP organizations, resulting in more housing discrimination being left undetected and unredressed in their states. 
• In several crucial ways, the work done by the non-profit housing organizations complements the efforts of their states to provide safe, fair, and affordable housing to their residents while easing administrative burdens on their states. For example, a FHIP organization in California brought significant evidence to the California Civil Rights Department demonstrating that a property-management company in the San Francisco Bay Area had adopted overly restrictive rules that effectively barred rental applications from families with young children. Based on that evidence, the Department filed a lawsuit, which yielded a consent decree in 2023 prohibiting these rules and requiring restitutionary payments to affected families. 
• The non-profit housing organizations are likely to succeed on the merits of their claims. HUD’s determination to void 78 preexisting FHIP grants, with no explanation or consideration of the consequences to their states and their residents and communities, was arbitrary and capricious in violation of the Administrative Procedure Act. 

Joining Attorney General Bonta in co-leading today’s amicus brief are New York Attorney General Leticia James and Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell. They are joined by the attorneys general of Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington. 

A copy of the amicus brief can be found here.

OAKLAND – California Attorney General Rob Bonta today joined a coalition of 14 attorneys general in sending a letter to Congress, urging members to oppose two Congressional bills (H.R. 1415 and S. 623, collectively, the No IRIS Act) that would prohibit the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from relying on scientific assessments from the Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) program, which are critical to protect against exposure to harmful toxic chemicals. The coalition also urges Congress to oppose the Trump Administration’s plan to dismantle the EPA Office of Research and Development (ORD), which is the research arm of the EPA that provides the scientific basis for EPA’s work.

“Undermining EPA’s independent science arm and the IRIS program jeopardizes vital research and health protections for Americans across this country,” said Attorney General Bonta. “The environmental challenges we are facing demand action rooted in continued research and facts. That’s why my fellow attorneys general and I are urging Congress to swiftly oppose the No IRIS Act and the proposed destruction of ORD." 

ORD and IRIS provide integral scientific and technical resources to states that help them protect residents from environmental pollutants that can cause significant health risks. States, including California, rely on tools, information, and data from ORD and IRIS, and these actions would significantly hamper the ability of both the EPA and the states to protect our residents from environmental harm. For example, California’s Department of Toxic Substances Control uses data from IRIS assessments in determining cleanup standards for hazardous waste sites.

In the letter, the attorneys general explain IRIS assessments are the result of unbiased scientific review that determines at what level the many chemicals that enter the environment through industry and other sources are harmful to human health. The assessments are used by EPA to set regulatory levels for toxic contaminants and for permitting, cleanups, and emergency responses. Without knowing the level at which these chemicals can cause a risk to human health, such as cancer and birth defects, it would be difficult for EPA to adequately protect the public from exposure, which will jeopardize the health and safety of the entire country. 

The attorneys general also highlight the importance of ORD and its critical scientific research that is used for a wide range of purposes, including protecting drinking water sources from natural disasters and terrorist attacks, studying air pollution caused by wildfire smoke, and researching PFAS and other emerging contaminants. The reported plan to dissolve ORD and fire more than 1,000 scientists would have immediate consequences and make it difficult for EPA to meet its statutory requirements to use the best available science to inform its work.  

Attorney General Bonta joins the attorneys general from Arizona, Colorado, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin in sending this letter.

A copy of the letter can be found here.

AmeriCorps volunteers address critical local needs, create public good, foster belonging

OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta today co-led 23 attorneys general and two states in filing a lawsuit challenging the Trump Administration’s termination of AmeriCorps grants and the dismantling of the agency though a 85% reduction of its workforce, effectively ending the agency’s ability to continue administering the programs, operations, and funding that make its important work possible. AmeriCorps is an independent federal agency tasked with engaging Americans in meaningful community-based service that directly address the country’s educational, public safety, and environmental needs — every year, the agency provides opportunities for more than 200,000 Americans to serve their communities.

“AmeriCorps volunteers bring out the best in America and in our communities. By abruptly canceling critical grants and gutting AmeriCorps’ workforce and volunteers, DOGE is dismantling AmeriCorps without any concern for the thousands of people who are ready and eager to serve their country — or for those whose communities are stronger because of this public service,” said Attorney General Rob Bonta. “In California, AmeriCorps volunteers build affordable housing, clean up our environment, and address food insecurity in communities across our state. California has repeatedly taken action to hold the Trump Administration and DOGE accountable to the law — and we stand prepared to do it again to protect AmeriCorps and the vital services it provides.”

“Service sits at the very core of who we are as Americans,” said Governor Gavin Newsom. “California is suing the Trump administration to defend thousands of hardworking service members and the communities they serve. These actions by President Trump and Elon Musk not only threaten our funding – they vandalize our values. We’re going to fight to stop them.” 

BACKGROUND 

AmeriCorps supports national and state community service programs by providing opportunities for Americans to serve their communities and by awarding grants to local and national organizations and agencies which use funding to address critical community needs. These organizations and agencies use AmeriCorps funding to recruit, place, and supervise AmeriCorps members nationwide. AmeriCorps members and volunteers have connected veterans to essential services, fought the opioid epidemic, helped older adults age with dignity, rebuilt communities after disasters, and improved the physical and mental well-being of millions of Americans. 

In early February, the Trump Administration issued an executive order directing every federal agency to plan to reduce the size of its workforce and prepare to initiate in large-scale reductions in force. Since then, AmeriCorps has placed at least 85% of its workforce on administrative leave immediately and notified employees that they would be terminated effective June 24, 2025. 

On April 25, California received notice from the federal government of termination of its AmeriCorps grant programs which support volunteer and service efforts. Grant cancellations and program termination notices were sent to approximately 1,031 programs nationwide.

LAWSUIT 

In the complaint today, the Attorney General Bonta and a multistate coalition argue that by abruptly canceling critical grants and gutting AmeriCorps’ workforce, the Trump Administration is effectively shuttering the national volunteer agency and ending states’ abilities to support AmeriCorps programs within their borders. 

The coalition establishes that the Trump Administration has acted unlawfully in its gutting of AmeriCorps, violating both the Administrative Procedures Act and the separation of powers under the U.S. Constitution. Congress has created AmeriCorps and the programs it administers, and the President cannot incapacitate the agency’s ability to administer appropriated grants or carry out statutorily assigned duties. Further, by dismantling AmeriCorps and its programs, which are creations of Congress, The Trump Administration’s has violated the Executive Branch’s obligation to take care that the law is faithfully executed. 

CALIFORNIA IMPACTS

AmeriCorps funds support California public agencies and nonprofits that provide critical services to low-income communities.  

In 2024, at least 6,150 California members served at at least 1,200 locations, including schools, food banks, homeless shelters, health clinics, youth centers, veterans’ facilities, and other nonprofit and faith-based organizations. AmeriCorps invested more than $133 million in federal funding to California last year to support cost-effective community solutions, working with local partners on the ground to help communities, who most intimately understand their needs, tackle their toughest challenges. When the Los Angeles fires devastated millions earlier this year, AmeriCorps members showed up to distribute supplies and support families — until the Trump Administration ended the program and sent them home on hours' notice.

In bringing today’s lawsuit Attorney General Bonta and the attorneys general of Maryland, Delaware, and Colorado lead the attorneys general of Arizona, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, the District of Columbia and the states of Kentucky and Pennsylvania. 

A copy of the complaint can be found here. 

OAKLAND – California Attorney General Rob Bonta today co-led a coalition of 19 attorneys general in filing an amicus brief in Haitian Evangelical Clergy Association v. Trump in support of a challenge to the early termination of the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designation for Haitians. TPS is a critical humanitarian program established by Congress in 1990 that allows nationals of designated countries to remain in the United States due to ongoing armed conflict, environmental disaster, or extraordinary and temporary conditions in their home countries. In their brief, the attorneys general urge the district court to grant the plaintiffs’ motion to postpone the unlawful early termination of the TPS designation for Haitians.

“The Trump Administration’s unlawful attempt to terminate Haiti’s TPS designation threatens the very livelihoods of individuals fleeing from a humanitarian crisis in search of safety and a better life for their families,” said Attorney General Bonta. Our Haitian TPS holders are an integral part of our community, they are our neighbors, co-workers, teachers, and caregivers. At the California DOJ we recognize the importance of our TPS communities and urge the court to prevent the Trump Administration’s unlawful attempt to revoke their legal immigration status from going into effect.”

In the amicus brief, the coalition urges the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York to prevent the Trump Administration’s order from going into effect, arguing that the termination of Haitian TPS is unlawful and will:

• Result in irreparable harm to families, stripping members of work authorization exposing them to the threat of deportation.
• Harm states’ economies and workforces as the TPS-holder community, including the Haitian community, are dynamic contributors to Amici States’ economies.
• Raise healthcare costs and pose substantial risks to public health.
• Create challenges for jurisdictions across the country in enforcing their criminal codes and protecting public safety. 

Attorney General Bonta is committed to upholding the rights and protections of all Californians, including the nearly 11 million immigrants who call California home. He has supported a challenge to the early termination of the TPS designation for Haitians and Venezuelans, defended pathways for legal immigration for those fleeing dangerous conditions in their home counties, and secured a preliminary injunction in his lawsuit challenging the President’s unlawful executive order seeking to end birthright citizenship.

Attorney General Bonta co-led the filing of today’s brief along with the Attorneys General of New York and Massachusetts, and is joined by the Attorneys General of Connecticut, Delaware, Hawai‘i, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia.

A copy of the brief can be found here.