Attorney General Charity Clark, alongside a coalition of 19 attorneys general, has filed lawsuits against the Trump administration. The suits challenge federal immigration conditions placed on emergency services and infrastructure funding.
The legal actions target the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, the Department of Transportation (DOT), and DOT Secretary Sean Duffy. The coalition argues that these agencies imposed unconstitutional requirements for states to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement or risk losing significant federal funding.
Attorney General Clark stated, "The federal government is responsible for enforcing immigration law, not the states." She emphasized that Vermont's law prioritizes local public safety over assisting federal immigration enforcement.
The lawsuits argue that Congress has already allocated funds for disaster relief and infrastructure without attaching immigration enforcement conditions. Vermont alone risks losing over $12 million in FEMA funding if it does not comply with these new terms. Similarly, more than $300 million per year in DOT funds crucial for highway development and airport safety could be affected.
Attorney General Clark claims that these conditions jeopardize public safety by undermining trust between law enforcement and immigrant communities. Furthermore, they argue that Congress did not authorize DOT to impose such conditions on transportation funds.
This action marks Attorney General Clark's sixteenth and seventeenth lawsuits against the Trump administration since January 2025. Joining her are attorneys general from California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington, and Wisconsin.
For further details on these cases or other actions by Attorney General Clark on behalf of Vermonters visit ago.vermont.gov/ago-actions.