New York Attorney General Letitia James has secured a court order requiring the Trump administration to restore states' access to Department of Education programs. These programs are crucial for supporting low-income and unhoused students and addressing the long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on K-12 education. The lawsuit, led by Attorney General James, included 15 other attorneys general and the Governor of Pennsylvania. It challenged the Trump administration's decision to end access to over $1 billion in grants from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), which had been available until March 2026.
Judge Edgardo Ramos of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York issued a preliminary injunction mandating that these funds be restored as litigation continues. "The Trump administration’s illegal decision to cut off essential education funding put some of our most vulnerable students at risk of falling behind in school," stated Attorney General James. She emphasized this as a significant victory for students and teachers reliant on this funding.
ARPA funded three key education-related programs: Homeless Children and Youth (HCY), Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER), and Emergency Assistance to Nonpublic Schools (EANS). These initiatives aim to help schools recover from pandemic impacts by providing resources such as additional classroom space, library books, playground equipment, and wheelchair-accessible buses.
Attorney General James argued that the abrupt termination of these funds created an unexpected budget gap detrimental to educational services. Judge Ramos' ruling prevents enforcement of a letter from Education Secretary Linda McMahon dated March 28, 2025, which rescinded states' access to ARPA funds.
The coalition supporting this legal action includes attorneys general from Arizona, California, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, and the District of Columbia.