Five States Sue Trump Administration

Five Democratic-led states, United States — California, United States — Colorado, United States — Minnesota, United States — Illinois, and United States — New York (state), have filed a lawsuit against the Donald Trump administration. The lawsuit challenges the administration's decision to freeze billions of dollars in social safety net funds for public benefit programs, including the Child Care and Development Fund, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, and Social Services Block Grant. The states, led by United States — New York (state) Attorney General Letitia James, argue that the freeze is an unconstitutional abuse of power and that the funds were already approved by Congress. The United States — United States Department of Health and Human Services, through Alex Adams, cited concerns about fraud, specifically alleging that states were providing benefits to people in the U.S. illegally, and requested extensive data from the states. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the Health and Human Services Secretary, stated that the funding was cut because the states refused to cooperate with developing plans to eliminate fraud. United States — California's Attorney General Rob Bonta noted that about half of the $10 billion in targeted funding supported United States — California programs. United States — Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has defended his state's actions against fraud allegations. The lawsuit seeks a court order to halt the freeze and release the funds.