POLITICS

United States states sue Trump administration over disaster grants

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A coalition of 25 state attorneys general and the District of Columbia has filed a federal lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island against the Trump administration, naming FEMA and the Department of Homeland Security as defendants. The lawsuit challenges updated policy guidance for the fiscal year 2026 Homeland Security Grant Program, which conditions 20% of disaster preparedness and counterterrorism grants on state compliance with federal voting and immigration-related mandates. Plaintiffs argue that hundreds of millions in congressionally allocated funds are being unlawfully tied to requirements including cross-checking voter rolls with DHS’s Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements database.

Prepared by Lauren Mitchell and reviewed by editorial team.

Timeline of Events

Fiscal year 2026 DHS issues new grant guidance
Fiscal year 2026 FEMA adopts funding conditions
Fiscal year 2026 Grants total up to one billion
Recently States learn of 20 percent withholding
Recently DHS ties aid to election compliance
Recently States required to use SAVE database
Today Twenty-five states file Rhode Island lawsuit
Today FEMA and DHS formally named defendants

Why This Matters to You

This lawsuit could impact your state's disaster preparedness and counterterrorism funding. If your state doesn't comply with the new federal voting and immigration mandates, it could lose 20% of its grant money. Check if your state is part of the lawsuit.

The Bottom Line

The lawsuit argues that tying disaster aid to voting and immigration compliance is unlawful. If successful, it could change how federal grant money is distributed. Worth forwarding if you know someone in a state affected by this policy change.