New York Attorney General Letitia James, along with 22 other attorneys general and the governors of Pennsylvania and Kentucky, has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration. The suit challenges the decision to freeze nearly $7 billion in education funds, which were appropriated by Congress for various programs supporting children and families across the nation.
Attorney General James emphasized the importance of these funds: “The federal government cannot use our children’s classrooms to advance its assault on immigrant and working families.” She argued that this freeze would have devastating effects on students and families who rely on these educational programs.
The funding, which was supposed to be distributed by July 1, supports several key educational initiatives. These include after-school care for working parents’ children, English language instruction for non-native speakers, teacher recruitment and training, STEM and arts curriculum expansion, as well as bullying and suicide prevention services.
Despite the longstanding expectation of this funding’s release each year, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) announced a blanket freeze just hours before the statutory deadline. This move has left schools nationwide in turmoil as they scramble to address budget shortfalls.
In New York alone, over $463 million meant for K-12 education has been frozen. This includes significant amounts allocated for teacher training, safe learning environments, after-school programs, English learning initiatives, migrant student support, and adult literacy funding. The state is now facing potential program cancellations and job losses if the situation is not resolved promptly.
Attorney General James argues that this action violates both constitutional provisions and federal law by disregarding Congress’s authority over budget allocations. The coalition seeks legal intervention to stop what they describe as an unconstitutional freeze on vital educational funds.
Joining New York in this legal battle are attorneys general from states including Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware among others; alongside governors from Pennsylvania and Kentucky.
