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NY AG, 19 others file 2 lawsuits against Trump admin, alleging federal money tied to immigration enforcement
By Anders Hagstrom
Published May 13, 2025
New York Attorney General Letitia James filed two lawsuits against President Donald Trump's administration Tuesday.
James, a longtime legal opponent of Trump, joined 19 other attorneys general in filing the lawsuits, the first of which claims DHS Secretary Kristi Noem has threatened to cut off "emergency preparedness" funding if states do not cooperate with federal immigration enforcement. The second lawsuit targets the Department of Transportation on similar grounds, arguing it is unconstitutional to withhold funds to coerce immigration compliance.
"DHS is holding states hostage by forcing them to choose between disaster preparedness and enabling the administration’s illegal and chaotic immigration agenda," James said in a statement. "This funding is vital to keeping New Yorkers safe during hurricanes, floods, and other catastrophes.
"The federal government cannot weaponize disaster relief to coerce states into abandoning public safety and community trust. My office will fight to ensure all New Yorkers are protected — both from tragic disasters and from cruel and unnecessary immigration policies."
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NY Attorney General Letitia James sued Trump's DHS Tuesday. (Michael M. Santiago)
The lawsuit claims the Trump administration has presented states "with an impossible choice."
"Either they forego millions of dollars in federal funds that Congress has appropriated — and which their emergency preparedness and response efforts rely on — or they undermine their law enforcement efforts by diverting their resources to enforce federal immigration law," James' office wrote.
READ THE LAWSUIT AGAINST FEMA – APP USERS, CLICK HERE:
CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE
DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin pushed back on the lawsuit in a statement to Fox News Digital.
"Cities and states who break the law and prevent us from arresting criminal illegal aliens should not receive federal funding. The President has been clear on that. Under Secretary Noem’s leadership, DHS is working to end violations of federal immigration law and remove criminal illegal aliens from American communities. Radical sanctuary politicians need to put the safety of the American people first—not criminal illegal aliens. The Trump Administration is committed to restoring the rule of law. No lawsuit, not this one or any other, is going to stop us from doing that."
Kristi Noem, secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, faces a new lawsuit regarding state emergency funds. (Ken Cedeno/UPI/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
In the DOT lawsuit, the attorneys general argue the department's conditions for receiving funding "put billions in federal funding necessary for vital public safety and reliable transportation projects at risk, including those that prevent injuries and deaths from traffic accidents, protect riders from train collisions, and help improve airport safety measures."
Transportation Sec. Sean Duffy called the requirements "common-sense values" in a statement to Fox News Digital.
"No funding has been withheld. These 20 states are challenging the terms of their grant agreements because their officials want to continue breaking Federal law and putting the needs of illegal aliens above their own citizens," Duffy said in a statement. "Under the leadership of President Trump, what my Department has done is remind grant recipients that by accepting federal funds, they are required to adhere to federal laws."
"No state or local government is above enforcing the immigration rules that keep communities safe. These common-sense values reflect the priorities of the American people, and I took action to ensure compliance," he added.
The lawsuits come during a massive immigration crackdown by the Trump administration, which has deported over 130,000 illegal immigrants since Trump's inauguration.
Apprehensions at the U.S.-Mexico border have plummeted 93% under the new administration, according to data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection released Monday.
The CBP says it averaged 279 apprehensions per day at the southern border in April, compared to 4,297 apprehensions in April 2024. The total apprehensions for April this year landed at 8,383, compared to last year's 129,000.
President Donald Trump has initiated a massive crackdown on illegal immigration. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
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CBP officials also noted that just five illegal aliens were temporarily released into the U.S. during April, compared to 68,000 during the same month last year.
READ THE LAWSUIT AGAINST THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION – APP USERS, CLICK HERE:
"For the first time in years, more agents are back in the field patrolling territories that CBP didn’t have the bandwidth or manpower to oversee just six months ago," said Pete Flores, acting commissioner of CBP. "But thanks to this administration’s dramatic shift in security posture at our border, we are now seeing operational control becoming a reality, and it’s only just beginning."
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/ny-ag-19-others-file-2-lawsuits-against-trump-admin-alleging-federal-money-tied-immigration-enforcement