More than 24 states sue Trump administration after it put conditions on receiving disaster funding - ABC News - Breaking News, Latest News and Videos

What the report says

ABC News, carrying an Associated Press report, says more than two dozen states filed a lawsuit Thursday against the Trump administration over new conditions tied to federal disaster and homeland security funding. The case, brought in Rhode Island, challenges policies from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Homeland Security that the states say would force them to alter election procedures and assist with federal immigration enforcement to access billions of dollars in grants.

According to the report, the states argue the conditions violate the Administrative Procedure Act and the Constitution’s spending clause because Congress had already appropriated the money. Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha said the administration was putting public safety funding at risk to pressure states over policy choices. ABC reported that DHS did not immediately comment.

The disputed requirements include changes to election systems, such as moving to paper ballots, conducting manual audits, reconciling voter records and verifying citizenship in voter databases. States that do not comply could lose at least 20% of Homeland Security Grant Program funding, which supports preparation for threats including terrorism and cyberattacks.

ABC/AP framed the lawsuit as part of a wider series of legal challenges to Trump administration attempts to attach policy conditions to federal funding, including in areas such as education, transportation and domestic violence grants. The report notes courts have previously blocked similar moves involving FEMA and DHS funds. It also provides context that Trump has continued to make unsupported claims about widespread fraud in mail voting after his 2020 loss, despite repeated audits and reviews finding no widespread fraud.