In New Court Filing, Attorney General Kaul: Trump Administration Not Complying with Court Order to Unfreeze Federal Funding

In light of evidence of the Trump Administration continuing to block state funding under the Inflation Reduction Act and Infrastructure, Investment, and Jobs Act, states file motion to enforce existing court order

Preliminary injunction motion highlights the significant threats posed by the Trump Administration's funding freeze, affecting access to food, healthcare, and crucial services that states provide

MADISON, Wis. - Attorney General Josh Kaul today joined a coalition of 23 attorneys general in filing a motion to enforce and a motion for preliminary injunction in NY v. Trump, the ongoing lawsuit challenging actions by President Trump, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and federal agencies attempting to pause nearly $3 trillion in federal assistance funding allocated to the states that support critical programs and services that benefit the American people. The coalition today seeks to preliminarily enjoin the Trump Administration's actions to impose a funding freeze, emphasizing the widespread and irreparable harm to states, which rely on billions of dollars of critical federal assistance for public services to ensure access to education, clean air and water, and health care, and to support essential infrastructure projects.

"We're asking the court to bring the Trump administration fully into compliance with the order blocking the freeze and to keep the freeze blocked pending the court's final ruling," said Attorney General Josh Kaul. "This critical funding must be fully restored."

Citing evidence of ongoing disruptions impacting disbursements to states, and federal funds that remain blocked under the IRA and IIJA despite the court's Temporary Restraining Order (TRO), which remains in place, the coalition also seeks to enforce the TRO to require the Trump Administration to disperse these funds. The motion further highlights the harm states face if funds under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and Infrastructure, Investment, and Jobs Act (IIJA, also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law) are not allocated as required by statute. For instance, IRA and IIJA funding strengthens domestic energy security, reduces energy costs, diversifies our domestic energy resources, rebuilds our domestic manufacturing economy, bolsters and modernizes critical infrastructure, and creates well-paying jobs while simultaneously reducing harmful pollution.

Amid evidence that the Trump Administration has continued to block or delay these specific funding categories, in violation of court order, the attorneys general filed a motion to enforce to ensure that these critical funds are swiftly dispersed so that states can put them to use to protect for the health, safety, and well-being of their residents.

Attorney General Kaul joins the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Nevada, North Carolina, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington in filing the motions.

A copy of the motion for preliminary injunction will be available here. A copy of the motion to enforce will be available here.