Over 24 States File Lawsuit Against Trump Over Disaster Aid Rules
WHO:
ABC News - More than two dozen states have sued the Trump administration.
AP News - Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha commented on the lawsuit.
WHAT:
AP News - The lawsuit claims the Trump administration is withholding hundreds of millions of dollars in disaster-preparedness and homeland security grants to pressure states to change policies on elections and immigration.
ABC News - The lawsuit challenges the Trump administration's requirement for states to comply with election and immigration conditions to receive federal disaster funding.
AP News - The lawsuit argues that the Trump administration is unlawfully withholding billions in critical funding.
AP News - The states risk losing at least 20% of their Homeland Security Grant Program funding if they do not comply with the conditions.
AP News - The lawsuit is one of many that have challenged the Trump administration's funding conditions.
WHERE:
AP News - The lawsuit was filed in Rhode Island.
WHEN:
AP News - The lawsuit challenges conditions on funding for the year 2026.
WHY:
AP News - The states argue that the conditions violate the Administrative Procedure Act and the U.S. Constitution’s spending clause.
AP News - The Trump administration is accused of using public safety as leverage to force states to comply with its policies.
HOW:
AP News - Among the requirements being challenged in the lawsuit is that states must reconcile voters and verify the citizenship of every registered voter in the state’s voter databases.
AP News - The lawsuit claims that the Trump administration requires states to change their election systems, including transitioning to paper-ballot systems and conducting manual audits of voting systems.
AP News - The conditions allow the Department of Homeland Security to terminate grants at any time and for any reason.
(UPDATED July 23, 2026 23:18 UTC)
A new lawsuit alleges that Trump’s administration is withholding hundreds of millions of dollars in disaster-preparedness and homeland security grants to pressure states into changing their policies on elections and immigration. The lawsuit specifically challenges requirements that mandate states reconcile their voter rolls and verify the citizenship of every registered voter in their databases. This legal action highlights ongoing tensions between federal and state policies regarding voter verification and immigration.
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(UPDATED July 23, 2026 19:28 UTC)
More than two dozen states have filed a lawsuit against Trump, challenging the administration's requirement that they comply with election and immigration conditions to receive federal disaster funding. The lawsuit, which was filed in Rhode Island, argues that the Trump administration is unlawfully withholding billions in critical funding and threatens states with the loss of at least 20% of their Homeland Security Grant Program funding if they do not comply. The states contend that these conditions violate the Administrative Procedure Act and the U.S. Constitution’s spending clause, claiming that Trump is using public safety as leverage to enforce his policies.