Attorney General Kwame Raoul has joined forces with 21 other attorneys general to file a lawsuit against the Trump administration's recent policy, which halts federal funding critical to various state programs. This policy, issued by the President’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB), suspends significant financial assistance that states depend on for essential services such as health care, education, law enforcement, and disaster relief.
Raoul highlighted the impact on Illinois, where the new policy threatens efforts to combat child exploitation through the Illinois Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The task force relies on Department of Justice grants for its operations. "This freeze will have a devastating impact on the funding for our state’s most vulnerable residents," Raoul stated. He emphasized that it compromises safety and has already led to more than 2,300 arrests since 2006.
The OMB directive was released late on January 27 and took effect at 4 p.m. CST on January 28. It instructs federal agencies to pause most federal aid indefinitely. According to Raoul and his colleagues' lawsuit, this action creates chaos and uncertainty for Americans relying on these funds.
The coalition argues that withholding funds endangers public safety by depriving law enforcement of necessary resources. Programs combating hate crimes and violence against women would be affected alongside community policing initiatives and crime victim services. Additionally, essential disaster relief in areas like California could be disrupted.
Raoul contends that OMB's policy breaches constitutional principles by overriding Congress's authority over federal spending decisions without adhering to existing laws governing fund allocation.
Joining Raoul in leading this legal challenge are attorneys general from California, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and Rhode Island. Other states involved include Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Vermont Washington D.C., Washington State and Wisconsin.