A coalition of 24 states and the District of Columbia filed a lawsuit against President Donald Trump's administration for conditioning access to billions of dollars in federal disaster and emergency funds on compliance with federal policies related to immigration, elections and other issues that the plaintiffs say exceed the authority of the federal government.

The complaint was filed this Thursday in federal court in Rhode Island and maintains that the new conditions imposed by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) violate the United States Constitution and the Administrative Procedure Act by unilaterally modifying requirements approved by Congress.

The attorneys general pushing the litigation say the White House is trying to use public safety resources as a political pressure tool to force states to adopt Trump administration priorities, including greater cooperation with federal immigration authorities and changes to their election systems.

"The Administration has already lost similar battles in court, and we anticipate that this latest illegal attempt will also fail. Our communities deserve better than to see their essential resources embroiled in political games," said California Attorney General Rob Bonta, who is leading the lawsuit along with his Illinois counterpart, Kwame Raoul.

States question new conditions to access federal resources

According to the lawsuit, states must meet various requirements to retain funds from FEMA and other DHS programs. These include collaborating with federal authorities in the application of immigration laws, accepting new provisions related to electoral administration and submitting to clauses that would allow the federal government to cancel subsidies under criteria considered discretionary.

The plaintiffs maintain that these conditions were never authorized by Congress and that they represent an invasion of the constitutional powers of the states.

Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha accused the administration of using the safety of Americans as a political pressure mechanism. "Once again, the Trump administration threatens to jeopardize public safety by illegally withholding billions of dollars in essential funds. This administration is using the safety of Americans as a bargaining chip by attempting to coerce states into giving up their constitutional right to enact policies and laws that benefit their residents," he said.

So far, the Department of Homeland Security had not issued an official response to the lawsuit.

Governors and prosecutors recall previous rulings against the White House

The states also argue that federal courts have already blocked similar attempts by the administration to condition different federal funding programs. The governor of California, Gavin Newsom, maintained that the president cannot use emergency resources to force states to modify their electoral laws or public policies.

The new lawsuit notes that by fiscal year 2026, the federal government intends to impose requirements that include the use of paper ballots, manual election audits, voter list reconciliation and citizenship verification in state election records. The states warn that failure to comply with these requirements could result in the loss of at least 20% of the resources of the National Security Grant Program, funds intended to strengthen the response to cyberattacks, terrorism and other threats.

In addition to California and Illinois, the lawsuit was supported by Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia.