Twenty-five states and the District of Columbia have filed a lawsuit against the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), accusing the Trump administration of withholding hundreds of millions of dollars in disaster-preparedness and homeland security grants. The coalition, led by Rhode Island Attorney General Peter F. Neronha, argues that new conditions imposed on these funds are an attempt to force states to adopt the administration's policies on elections and immigration.
Key Takeaways
Twenty-five states and the District of Columbia have sued FEMA and DHS for allegedly withholding disaster-preparedness funding to force compliance with election and immigration policies. The lawsuit argues that new conditions imposed on Homeland Security Grant Program awards violate federal law.
- 25 states sue over alleged withholding of $148 million in grants
- New conditions require voter citizenship verification, paper ballots, and immigration enforcement cooperation
- States argue DHS is using funds as leverage for unrelated policies
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▼Source Claims Check
1 Difference FoundAll 3 publishers report consistent facts across 2 key claims. 1 point of difference noted.
| Claim | Status | Reason | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amount Of Funding At Risk | 1 Difference | CBS News and Los Angeles Times report $148 million at risk; Reuters says $1 billion in grants with 20% to be withheld | ▼ |
| Number Of States Suing | Broad Agreement | 25 states plus District of Columbia sue FEMA and DHS | |
| Conditions Imposed On Funding | Broad Agreement | States must verify voter citizenship, use paper ballots, conduct audits, and cooperate with immigra… |
Amount Of Funding At Risk
▼CBS News and Los Angeles Times report $148 million at risk; Reuters says $1 billion in grants with 20% to be withheld
Number Of States Suing
Broad Agreement25 states plus District of Columbia sue FEMA and DHS
Conditions Imposed On Funding
Broad AgreementStates must verify voter citizenship, use paper ballots, conduct audits, and cooperate with immigration enforcement
This analysis is AI-generated and may not perfectly represent each source's reporting. Always read the original articles for full context.
The lawsuit challenges requirements that states verify voter citizenship through a federal database, transition to hand-marked paper ballots, conduct federally prescribed election audits, and cooperate with federal immigration enforcement. The plaintiffs estimate that FEMA could withhold at least 20% of Homeland Security Grant Program awards — approximately $148 million from the plaintiff states — and potentially terminate entire awards for noncompliance.
According to CBS News, DHS funds typically support emergency-management activities such as reimbursing first responders, bomb squads, cybersecurity efforts, disaster response, and security at houses of worship. The lawsuit alleges that the administration is using these funds as leverage over policies largely unrelated to the programs' purposes.
The coalition includes attorneys general from Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Vermont, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin. Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro have also joined the suit.
The states contend that the conditions imposed by FEMA and DHS violate the Administrative Procedure Act and the Constitution's Spending Clause. They are asking a federal judge in Rhode Island to block these conditions, void them nationwide as applied to the plaintiffs, and require the agencies to issue funding documents.
How this summary was created
This summary synthesizes reporting from 3 independent publishers using AI. All sources are cited and linked below. NewsBalance is a news aggregator and media literacy tool, not a news publisher. AI-generated content may contain errors or inaccuracies — always verify important information with the original sources.