Since the start of President Trump’s second term on January 20, 2025, California Attorney General Rob Bonta and the California Department of Justice have actively contested several executive orders and actions from the federal government. According to a recent report, these legal efforts have helped restore over $168 billion in funding to the state.
Attorney General Bonta has filed 37 lawsuits against the Trump Administration, leading or co-leading 23 of them. In addition, he has submitted more than 40 amicus briefs supporting other litigation efforts. Of the 19 cases where early relief was sought and ruled upon by a district court, Bonta’s office succeeded in 17 instances. There are currently 13 court orders in effect that block actions taken by the administration. The Department of Education also reversed its decision to freeze funding for California after a lawsuit was filed.
A significant portion of this restored funding came from an early lawsuit that challenged an attempt to freeze nearly one-third of California’s budget through a federal directive. This legal action resulted in approximately $168 billion being preserved for state programs and services. Further legal victories protected about $11.1 billion in federal grant funding across sectors such as education, healthcare, and transportation.
Bonta explained his approach: “In his first week in office, President Trump went after a full-third of California’s budget – and we went to court less than 24 hours later and stopped him in his tracks. When the Administration’s first effort to freeze all federal funding to California failed, it changed course, flooding the zone with near-constant attempts to cut off funding like a dangerous and unruly game of wack-a-mole. But this is not a game. We’re talking about people’s livelihoods, their health, their education, and in some cases, even their lives. That’s why every time the President breaks the law, my office stands ready to take him to court,” said Attorney General Rob Bonta. “For every dollar we’ve been given by the Governor and the Legislature in Special Session funding, we’ve returned more than $33,600 for the state. I’m proud of my incredible team who has been working around the clock to protect California’s people, values, and resources in the face of relentless attacks. We know that this work is just the beginning, but we are not backing down. Too much is at stake, whether it be school programs for our kids, research for our future, medical care for our sick, or infrastructure that keeps our cars driving and planes in the air. California will continue to fight at every turn to hold the President and his Administration accountable to the Constitution they swore to uphold.”
Governor Gavin Newsom commented on these efforts: “California’s early, proactive, and defensive actions have helped California maintain its values in the face of wholesale attacks against our families and communities, while also serving as a backstop against tyrannical actions by President Trump and those who aim to ignore the rule of law,” said Governor Gavin Newsom. “As the federal government continues to attack our state, California will keep defending itself, its values, and its people.”
Among specific outcomes:
– After an Office of Management and Budget directive attempted to freeze nearly $3 trillion nationwide—including funds vital for California—Bonta led a multistate lawsuit resulting in a temporary restraining order that kept roughly $168 billion flowing into state coffers.
– About $7 billion annually for transportation infrastructure was secured after blocking new immigration enforcement conditions tied to Department of Transportation grants.
– Nearly $939 million earmarked for education was restored following litigation challenging withheld school funds.
– Around $972 million for public health initiatives was preserved as part of broader national litigation protecting about $11 billion.
– Over $300 million allocated for electric vehicle charging infrastructure was restored after another legal challenge.
Bonta’s office has also worked on defending birthright citizenship rights by obtaining court orders halting attempts by the administration to end this constitutional guarantee.
Efforts extended beyond direct lawsuits; over 40 amicus briefs were filed supporting various civil rights protections related to consumer finance oversight agencies and immigrant rights issues.
Guidance has been provided by Bonta’s office on compliance with state laws affecting law enforcement practices regarding immigration enforcement limits (such as SB 54). Consumer alerts have been issued addressing scams targeting immigrants or misleading information related to ICE activity.
The Attorney General’s team has advised businesses about maintaining diversity initiatives despite recent challenges at the federal level.
More details on these actions can be found at https://oag.ca.gov/federal-accountability.
