Attorney General Keith Ellison has joined a coalition of 22 attorneys general to seek a court order against the Trump administration for withholding critical Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funds. Despite previous court orders, including a preliminary injunction issued on March 6, the administration continues to withhold significant grants intended for states.
"Donald Trump’s continued withholding of critical disaster relief funding is as cruel as it is unlawful," said Attorney General Keith Ellison. "The Federal Emergency Management Agency exists to help the American people when the worst happens, from floods to wildfires to hurricanes and so much more. I will not sit back and let Trump play political games with disaster relief funding the American people are relying on, especially when he’s doing so in defiance of a court order. This is unacceptable, so my fellow attorneys general and I are taking action to compel Trump to obey the law and obey the courts."
The freeze on FEMA funds was initiated through various actions, including a January 27 memorandum from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). This policy has impacted access to Medicaid dollars and jeopardized public safety efforts nationwide. The coalition's motion seeks enforcement of an existing preliminary injunction requiring the administration to release these funds.
Ellison and his colleagues filed their lawsuit against this funding freeze on January 28. The court granted their request for a temporary restraining order (TRO) on January 31, halting its implementation temporarily. Subsequent motions have been filed by Ellison and others seeking enforcement against further freezing of FEMA funds.
This initiative is led by attorneys general from California, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and Rhode Island. Other states involved include Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin along with the District of Columbia.