California Attorney General Rob Bonta, together with attorneys general from New York, Colorado, Illinois, and Minnesota, has filed a lawsuit against the Trump Administration in response to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) recent freeze on over $10 billion in federal funding for child care and family assistance programs. The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.
The funding freeze applies only to five Democratic-led states—California, New York, Colorado, Illinois, and Minnesota—all of which are parties to the legal action. HHS stated that the freeze was imposed due to “serious concerns about widespread fraud and misuse of taxpayer dollars,” but did not provide evidence supporting these claims. The department also demanded that within 14 days, these states produce extensive documentation related to three major programs affected by the freeze and years of data containing personally identifiable information about program beneficiaries.
Attorney General Bonta said: “The American people are sick and tired of President Trump’s lawlessness, lies, and misinformation campaigns. It is especially pathetic that, once again, his Administration’s actions are inflicting harm on the most vulnerable among us. As a society, we are rightly judged by how we treat our neighbors in need, and this is a shameful way to treat them. With each passing day, his ‘America First’ rhetoric is exposed as nothing more than smoke and mirrors. If he thinks that his attacks on Democratic-led states will cause us to bend to his will, he is sorely mistaken. For the 53rd time, the Trump Administration has broken the law, and for the 53rd time, I’m taking them to court.”
The funding at issue includes $7.35 billion for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), $2.4 billion for Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF), and $869 million for Social Services Block Grant (SSBG) programs across all five states; approximately $5 billion is frozen in California alone.
According to letters from HHS cited in the lawsuit, there was no factual or legal basis provided for blocking access to these funds or targeting these particular states based solely on allegations of fraud. The TANF program provides block grants used by states for cash aid and supportive services for families in need; CCDF grants help low-income families afford child care so parents can work or attend school; SSBG supports social services such as child welfare services and foster care.
In their complaint, Bonta and his colleagues argue that:
(1) The Administrative Procedure Act (APA) has been violated because they claim HHS exceeded its authority.
(2) The Separation of Powers principle has been breached by imposing new conditions on appropriated funds without notice.
(3) The Appropriations Clause and Spending Clause of the U.S. Constitution have been infringed upon by declining to spend funds already appropriated by Congress.
The attorneys general are seeking a temporary restraining order due to what they describe as irreparable harm facing their states if access to these funds remains blocked.
Rob Bonta leads California’s Attorney General office according to its official website, which serves as California’s chief law enforcement authority responsible for enforcing state laws statewide while advancing initiatives related to civil rights protection and consumer economic security. The office operates throughout California as part of the executive branch of state government.