New Jersey Attorney General teams up with 19 states to sue Trump for threatening to withhold federal funding.
New Jersey’s Attorney General, Matthew Platkin, has initiated legal action against the Trump administration, aligning with 19 other state attorneys general. The coalition’s lawsuits target federal entities, claiming threats from the administration to withhold critical federal funding from states that do not participate in its immigration enforcement measures.
During a press conference held on Tuesday afternoon, Platkin joined counterparts from Rhode Island, California, and Illinois to announce the filing of two significant lawsuits. The first suit names the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and Secretary Kristi Noem, while the second targets the Department of Transportation and Secretary Sean Duffy. These lawsuits were filed in Rhode Island and are perceived as preemptive measures, aimed at countering anticipated actions from the Trump administration that could hinder state participation in immigration enforcement actions.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta highlighted the coalition’s concerns that the Trump administration could potentially jeopardize access to federal funds amounting to hundreds of billions of dollars unless states comply with its immigration policies. In New Jersey, the financial stakes are substantial, with over billion in federal funding linked to essential programs such as disaster relief and airport construction. Platkin emphasized that local and state governments should not be coerced into enforcing federal immigration policies under the threat of losing access to these funds.
Platkin defended New Jersey’s current cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), indicating that it focuses on serious criminal activity rather than broad immigration enforcement that might undermine community safety. He articulated the risks associated with increasing compliance pressure, noting that it could deter victims of violent and domestic crimes from engaging with law enforcement—the very issue that threatens the state’s public safety.
The ongoing discord is not a first for New Jersey. In January, Platkin was among 17 attorneys general who sought to halt Trump’s efforts aimed at eliminating birthright citizenship for children born in the U.S. to undocumented immigrants. This legal challenge, reflective of broader tensions between state and federal governance under the Trump administration, underscores a significant pushback against perceived overreach.
In addition to these issues, the consequences of funding cuts on operational aspects of New Jersey’s busiest transportation hub—Newark Liberty International Airport—were also brought to light by Platkin. The airport is already grappling with radar outages and staffing shortages, and the potential loss of federal support could exacerbate these challenges.
As legal battles continue to unfold on various fronts, including actions regarding tariffs and agency personnel decisions, the coalition of Democratic-led states remains committed to countering the Trump administration’s policies. The outcome of these lawsuits could significantly shape the landscape of immigration enforcement and federal-state relations in the years to come.
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