25 states sue FEMA and DHS, accuse Trump administration of withholding funding

A coalition of 25 states and the District of Columbia has filed a lawsuit against the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). They accuse the Trump administration of withholding hundreds of millions of dollars in crucial disaster-preparedness and homeland security grants. The plaintiffs allege the administration is using this funding as leverage to compel states to adopt its policies on elections and immigration.

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Congress allocated these funds to the states for preparing for and responding to emergencies including counterterrorism and natural disasters, and the executive branch has no legal say in the matter.

The complaint specifically challenges new conditions attached to the grants. These conditions would require states to verify voter citizenship through a federal database, move towards hand-marked paper ballots, conduct federally prescribed election audits, and cooperate with federal immigration enforcement. The states estimate that FEMA could withhold at least 20% of Homeland Security Grant Program awards, amounting to approximately $148 million for the plaintiff states, and potentially terminate entire awards for noncompliance.

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Federal emergency funding cannot and will not be held hostage from states.

Rhode Island Attorney General Peter F. Neronha, co-leading the case, condemned the administration's actions. "Congress allocated these funds to the states for preparing for and responding to emergencies including counterterrorism and natural disasters, and the executive branch has no legal say in the matter," Neronha stated. "Federal emergency funding cannot and will not be held hostage from states."

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This partisan pushback from New Jersey, California, Illinois, and Rhode Island is nothing new.

A FEMA spokesperson, however, defended the new requirements. "This partisan pushback from New Jersey, California, Illinois, and Rhode Island is nothing new," the spokesperson said. "We fully expected these left-wing politicians to oppose common-sense measures designed to protect election security and safeguard the integrity of American democracy." FEMA asserted that these measures are critical and common-sense steps necessary to preserve election integrity.

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We fully expected these left-wing politicians to oppose common-sense measures designed to protect election security and safeguard the integrity of American democracy.