Attorney General
Here's a look at documents from state attorneys general
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Va. A.G. Miyares Announces Nearly $150 Million Settlement With Mercedes-Benz USA and Daimler AG Over Emissions Fraud
RICHMOND, Virginia, Dec. 23 -- Virginia Attorney General Jason S. Miyares issued the following news release on Dec. 22, 2025:
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Attorney General Miyares Announces Nearly $150 Million Settlement with Mercedes-Benz USA and Daimler AG Over Emissions Fraud
Attorney General Jason Miyares today joined a coalition of 50 attorneys general announcing a $149,673,750 settlement with Mercedes-Benz USA and Daimler AG for violating state laws prohibiting unfair or deceptive trade practices by marketing, selling and leasing vehicles equipped with illegal and undisclosed emissions defeat devices designed
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RICHMOND, Virginia, Dec. 23 -- Virginia Attorney General Jason S. Miyares issued the following news release on Dec. 22, 2025:
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Attorney General Miyares Announces Nearly $150 Million Settlement with Mercedes-Benz USA and Daimler AG Over Emissions Fraud
Attorney General Jason Miyares today joined a coalition of 50 attorneys general announcing a $149,673,750 settlement with Mercedes-Benz USA and Daimler AG for violating state laws prohibiting unfair or deceptive trade practices by marketing, selling and leasing vehicles equipped with illegal and undisclosed emissions defeat devices designedto circumvent emissions standards. The settlement also includes more than $200 million in potential consumer relief.
Beginning in 2008 and continuing to 2016, the states allege Mercedes manufactured, marketed, advertised, and distributed nationwide more than 211,000 diesel passenger cars and vans equipped with software defeat devices that optimized emission controls during emissions tests, while reducing those controls outside of normal operations. The defeat devices enabled vehicles to far exceed legal limits of nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions, a harmful pollutant that causes respiratory illness and contributes to the formation of smog.
Mercedes engaged in this conduct to achieve design and performance goals, such as increased fuel efficiency and reduced maintenance, that it was unable to meet while complying with applicable emission standards. Mercedes concealed the existence of these defeat devices from state and federal regulators and the public. At the same time, Mercedes marketed the vehicles to consumers as "environmentally-friendly" and in compliance with applicable emissions regulations.
Today's settlement requires Mercedes-Benz USA and Daimler AG to pay $120 million to the states upon the effective date of the settlement. An additional $29,673,750 will be suspended and potentially waived pending completion of a comprehensive consumer relief program.
Virginia will receive $1,550,136 through today's settlement.
The consumer relief program extends to the estimated 39,565 vehicles that had not been repaired or permanently removed from the road in the United States by August 1, 2023. Mercedes must bear the cost of installing approved emission modification software on each of the affected vehicles. The companies must provide participating consumers with an extended warranty and will pay consumers $2,000 per subject vehicle.
The companies must also comply with reporting requirements, reform their practices, and refrain from including a prohibition on any further unfair or deceptive marketing or sale of diesel vehicles, including misrepresentations regarding emissions and compliance.
Today's settlement follows similar settlements reached previously between the states and Volkswagen, Fiat Chrysler and German engineering company Robert Bosch GmbH over its development of the cheat software. Automaker Fiat Chrysler and its subsidiaries paid $72.5 million to the states in 2019. Bosch paid $98.7 million in 2019. Volkswagen reached a $570 million settlement with the states in 2016.
The attorneys general of Connecticut, Delaware, and Maryland led the multistate investigation and settlement, and were assisted by Alabama, Georgia, New Jersey, New York, South Carolina, and Texas. The final settlement was also joined by Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, the District of Columbia, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, and Puerto Rico.
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Original text here: https://www.oag.state.va.us/media-center/news-releases/2938-december-22-2025-attorney-general-miyares-announces-nearly-150-million-settlement-with-mercedes-benz-usa-and-daimler-ag-over-emissions-fraud
Okla. A.G. Drummond Responds to Governor's Misinformation on Poultry Litter Judgment
OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma, Dec. 23 -- Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond issued the following news release on Dec. 22, 2025:
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Drummond responds to Governor's misinformation on poultry litter judgment
Attorney General Gentner Drummond accused Governor Kevin Stitt of "completely misrepresenting" a federal court judgment against out-of-state poultry corporations, saying Stitt's latest comments distort both the facts of the case and Oklahoma's interests.
"Governor Stitt is completely misrepresenting this case, the court's judgment, and Oklahoma's interests," Drummond said. "The State
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OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma, Dec. 23 -- Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond issued the following news release on Dec. 22, 2025:
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Drummond responds to Governor's misinformation on poultry litter judgment
Attorney General Gentner Drummond accused Governor Kevin Stitt of "completely misrepresenting" a federal court judgment against out-of-state poultry corporations, saying Stitt's latest comments distort both the facts of the case and Oklahoma's interests.
"Governor Stitt is completely misrepresenting this case, the court's judgment, and Oklahoma's interests," Drummond said. "The Stateof Oklahoma has never sued a single farmer, and the court has not entered judgment against any Oklahoma person or Oklahoma company."
"If anyone has failed Oklahoma, it is Kevin Stitt--who stood idle while the Illinois River Watershed suffered extensive and preventable damage, all to protect corporate interests. Stitt and his hand-picked attorney general, John O'Connor, had 18 months to manage this litigation. Instead, he chose inaction. Only now, after the court has ruled, is he attempting to deflect from his own failure of leadership," Drummond said.
Just days after Drummond took office in 2023, the federal court issued sweeping findings holding out-of-state Big Poultry liable for polluting the Illinois River Watershed. Recognizing the potential impact on Oklahoma producers, Drummond immediately pursued mediation and workable solutions. The corporations refused, instead choosing obstruction, misinformation, and litigation over accountability.
Even so, Drummond continued negotiating in good faith, working to reach agreements with certain poultry companies and offering realistic paths forward to mitigate economic impacts. He also remained in talks with all the companies that wished to engage.
"Despite their current unwillingness to negotiate, I remain open to settlement even after entry of the judgment. A negotiated settlement gives all parties more certainty and flexibility for cleaning up the watershed while ensuring a thriving poultry industry in Oklahoma," Drummond said. "I stand ready to bring the poultry corporations to the table for negotiations that will ensure clean water and a strong poultry business in Oklahoma. The question is whether Governor Stitt will finally stop interfering."
"Stitt's attempt to stoke fear among innocent producers serves only the interests of out-of-state corporations, not Oklahoma's farmers or their communities. I will continue enforcing the law and holding powerful interests accountable, no matter how loudly they protest."
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Original text here: https://oklahoma.gov/oag/news/newsroom/2025/december/drummond-responds-to-governors-misinformation-on-poultry-litter-judgment.html
N.J. A.G. Platkin: Mercedes-Benz USA, Mercedes-Benz Group AG Agree to Nearly $150 Million Settlement to Resolve Consumer Fraud, Environmental Claims
TRENTON, New Jersey, Dec. 23 -- New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin issued the following news release on Dec. 22, 2025:
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AG Platkin: Mercedes-Benz USA, Mercedes-Benz Group AG Agree to Nearly $150 Million Settlement to Resolve Consumer Fraud, Environmental Claims
New Jersey Settles Nationwide Multistate Investigation
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Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin today announced that 50 attorneys general reached a $149,673,750 settlement with Mercedes-Benz USA and Mercedes-Benz Group AG (collectively, "Mercedes") for violating state consumer and environmental protection laws by making,
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TRENTON, New Jersey, Dec. 23 -- New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin issued the following news release on Dec. 22, 2025:
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AG Platkin: Mercedes-Benz USA, Mercedes-Benz Group AG Agree to Nearly $150 Million Settlement to Resolve Consumer Fraud, Environmental Claims
New Jersey Settles Nationwide Multistate Investigation
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Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin today announced that 50 attorneys general reached a $149,673,750 settlement with Mercedes-Benz USA and Mercedes-Benz Group AG (collectively, "Mercedes") for violating state consumer and environmental protection laws by making,selling, and distributing vehicles equipped with illegal and undisclosed software that was allegedly intended to circumvent federal or state emission standards and concealing this software from the public as well as state and federal regulators.
Attorney General Platkin, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), and the Division of Consumer Affairs (DCA) began investigating Mercedes under the State's Air Pollution Control Act, the Low Emission Vehicle Program Regulations, and the Consumer Fraud Act.
In a complaint filed alongside the final consent judgment, the multistate coalition alleges that, beginning in 2008 and continuing until 2016, Mercedes manufactured, marketed, advertised, and distributed nationwide more than 211,000 diesel passenger cars and vans equipped with software defeat devices that optimized emission controls during emissions tests, while reducing those controls outside of normal operations.
"Mercedes misled New Jersey consumers to boost their vehicle sales, taking advantage of hard-working New Jerseyans and endangering our air quality and the health of our residents," said Attorney General Platkin. "Automakers are subject to the same legal rules as every other business: They must be truthful about the products they sell and ensure those products comply with the law. I am proud to stand with a bipartisan coalition of attorneys general in holding Mercedes accountable for its deceitful conduct."
"DEP has long been committed to addressing the impacts of vehicle emissions on air quality," said DEP Commissioner Shawn M. LaTourette. "New Jersey is proud to stand with our partner states across the country in reaching this settlement with Mercedes-Benz USA and Mercedes-Benz Group AG that will create opportunities to improve air quality and protect public health. The DEP thanks Attorney General Platkin and his team for securing justice for our state and others across the nation harmed by the deceptive and unlawful use of emission defeat devices in vehicles marketed and sold by these companies."
"Consumers have a legal right to know that the products they are buying, especially a purchase as consequential as a vehicle, are living up to the promises and claims of the company selling those products," said Elizabeth M. Harris, Acting Director of DCA. "DCA will always hold businesses and corporations accountable for violating consumer trust."
In New Jersey, at least 15,297 of the vehicles in model year 2009-2016 equipped with "BlueTEC" diesel technology included the undisclosed software that formed the basis for today's complaint. Mercedes allegedly engaged in this conduct to meet metrics such as increased fuel efficiency and reduced maintenance schedules that it was otherwise unable to meet while complying with applicable emission standards.
This undisclosed software enabled vehicles to far exceed legal limits on nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions, a harmful pollutant that causes respiratory illness and contributes to the formation of smog, the states alleged.
Today's settlement requires Mercedes to pay $120 million to the states. An additional $29,673,750 will be suspended and potentially waived pending completion of a comprehensive consumer relief program. Out of the overall settlement, New Jersey will receive $11,066,162.
Additionally, buyers of the affected vehicles will receive additional consumer protections as a result of the settlement. Under the consumer relief program required by the settlement, Mercedes must bear the cost of installing approved emission modification software on each of the estimated 39,565 vehicles that, as of August 1, 2023, had not been repaired or permanently removed from the road in the United States. The company must also provide consumers with an extended warranty and has agreed to pay consumers $2,000 per subject vehicle.
As part of the agreement, the company must also comply with reporting requirements and reforms to their practices, including a prohibition on any further engagement in unfair or deceptive marketing or sale of diesel vehicles, or any further misrepresentations regarding emissions and compliance.
Today's settlement follows similar settlements reached previously between New Jersey and automobile manufacturers. In 2019, New Jersey was part of a multistate settlement with Fiat Chrysler and German engineering company Robert Bosch GmbH over its development of the cheat software. Volkswagen reached a $570 million settlement with the states in 2016, with $72.7 million allocated to New Jersey.
New Jersey was part of the Multistate Executive Committee that led this settlement, along with Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Maryland, New York, South Carolina, and Texas.
Other jurisdictions joining the settlement are: Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, the District of Columbia, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
The settlement announced today was jointly led by the Consumer Fraud Prosecution Section within the Division of Law's Affirmative Civil Enforcement Practice Group and the Environmental Enforcement and Environmental Justice Section within the Environmental & Clean Energy Practice Group. Those handling the case include: Section Chief Jesse J. Sierant, Section Chief Gary Wolf; Assistant Section Chiefs Kevin Fleming, James LaBianca, and Thomas Lihan; and Deputy Attorneys General Zeyad A. Assaf, Jeffrey L. Koziar, and Nell Hryshko, under the supervision of Assistant Attorney General Kashif T. Chand and Deputy Directors Sara M. Gregory and A. Paul Stofa.
View Complaint (https://njoag-my.sharepoint.com/personal/allison_inserro_njoag_gov/Documents/MultiStates/MULTISTATES%202025/Dec%2025/M%20Benz/Complaint) | View Final Consent Judgment (https://nj.gov/oag/newsreleases25/Mercedes_FCJ_Filed.pdf)
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Original text here: https://www.njoag.gov/ag-platkin-mercedes-benz-usa-mercedes-benz-group-ag-agree-to-nearly-150-million-settlement-to-resolve-consumer-fraud-environmental-claims/
Mo. A.G. Hanaway and Jackson County Prosecutor Secure Indictment Against Kansas City Funeral Home
JEFFERSON CITY, Missouri, Dec. 23 -- Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway issued the following news release on Dec. 22, 2025:
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Attorney General Hanaway and Jackson County Prosecutor Secure Indictment Against Kansas City Funeral Home
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Today, Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway filed a petition for injunction, civil penalties, and other remedies against Frank Savory IV and S. Family Enterprises, LLC, doing business as Savory and Sons Funeral Home. The petition alleges that the defendants made false promises and engaged in unfair practices in the sale of funeral
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JEFFERSON CITY, Missouri, Dec. 23 -- Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway issued the following news release on Dec. 22, 2025:
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Attorney General Hanaway and Jackson County Prosecutor Secure Indictment Against Kansas City Funeral Home
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Today, Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway filed a petition for injunction, civil penalties, and other remedies against Frank Savory IV and S. Family Enterprises, LLC, doing business as Savory and Sons Funeral Home. The petition alleges that the defendants made false promises and engaged in unfair practices in the sale of funeralarrangements to consumers in the Kansas City metropolitan area.
"When a funeral home exploits grief with false promises, we will hold them responsible," said Attorney General Hanaway. "Families should never face the risk of having their trust in a funeral home betrayed. We are glad to secure this indictment alongside Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson for the people of Missouri."
The investigation into Savory and Sons was done in collaboration with the Jackson County Prosecutor's Office, which secured a grand jury indictment against Savory IV.
Between 2023 and 2025, Savory IV allegedly operated, sold funeral services to consumers, and managed Savory and Sons Funeral Home without the required license to practice in Missouri. A Jackson County grand jury returned an indictment charging Savory IV with Financial Exploitation of a Disabled Person, Stealing, and Deceptive Business Practice.
"The Jackson County Prosecutor's Office is proud to partner with Attorney General Hanaway's Office in pursuing justice for those impacted by Savory and Sons," said Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson. "We will never tolerate exploitation of our community's most vulnerable members. My office will continue to hold any business accountable that engages in criminal activity that harms the people of Jackson County."
The Attorney General and Prosecutor Johnson remind the public that the criminal charges against Savory IV are merely allegations. As in all criminal charges, the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Attorney General Hanaway encourages anyone who believes they were defrauded by Savory and Sons or Frank Savory IV to contact the Attorney General's Consumer Protection Section at 800-392-8222 or file a complaint online at ago.mo.gov.
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Original text here: https://ago.mo.gov/attorney-general-hanaway-and-jackson-county-prosecutor-secure-indictment-against-kansas-city-funeral-home/
Md. A.G. Brown Sues Trump Administration to Defend Critical Consumer Protection Efforts
BALTIMORE, Maryland, Dec. 23 -- Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown issued the following news release on Dec. 22, 2025:
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Attorney General Brown Sues Trump Administration to Defend Critical Consumer Protection Efforts
Attorney General Anthony G. Brown today joined a coalition of attorneys general in suing the Trump administration to stop the complete defunding of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), which has returned more than $21 billion improperly taken from over 205 million Americans throughout its 14-year existence.
The CFPB's current acting director, Russell Vought,
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BALTIMORE, Maryland, Dec. 23 -- Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown issued the following news release on Dec. 22, 2025:
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Attorney General Brown Sues Trump Administration to Defend Critical Consumer Protection Efforts
Attorney General Anthony G. Brown today joined a coalition of attorneys general in suing the Trump administration to stop the complete defunding of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), which has returned more than $21 billion improperly taken from over 205 million Americans throughout its 14-year existence.
The CFPB's current acting director, Russell Vought,is attempting to completely defund the agency by refusing to request any funding from the Federal Reserve, which will virtually guarantee the agency runs out of money in January 2026. As Attorney General Brown and the coalition argue, this will have devastating impacts on consumers and severely disrupt states' consumer protection abilities, which rely on consumer complaints and data from CFPB. Attorney General Brown and the coalition argue that CFPB has a legal requirement to collect and process consumer complaints and share that complaint data with states, and that Vought's actions violate the law and the Constitution. The lawsuit seeks a court order preventing the administration from completely defunding CFPB.
"The Trump administration's attempt to completely defund the CFPB is both illegal and dangerous for Maryland families," said Attorney General Brown. "This agency has returned over $21 billion to cheated consumers and provides our Office with essential consumer complaint data we use daily to investigate fraud, discrimination, and predatory lending. We're suing to stop this unlawful defunding scheme that violates the separation of powers and will leave Marylanders more vulnerable to financial exploitation."
Established in the wake of the Great Recession, the CFPB is an independent agency funded entirely by the Federal Reserve focused on regulating financial institutions and products to protect consumers. The CFPB writes and enforces rules to regulate financial institutions, collects critical economic data, and fields millions of consumer complaints every year. In addition, the CFPB is the only federal agency authorized to supervise the nation's largest banks for their compliance with consumer financial protection laws.
Beyond its own consumer protection actions, the CFPB is legally mandated to provide vital information to states to aid their own consumer protection efforts. States rely on consumer complaints from the CFPB to investigate wrongdoing, secure refunds and restitution for consumers, and support their own litigation against financial institutions. For example, the CFPB collects demographic and geographic lending data under the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act, which states use to protect homebuyers from discriminatory lending.
States also regularly refer consumer complaints to CFPB for further assistance. Since January 1, 2023, Maryland has referred 461 complaints to the CFPB. As Attorney General Brown and the coalition argue, completely defunding CFPB will eliminate this important resource for resolving complaints and securing justice for cheated consumers.
In November, Vought took a novel position that the agency can only be funded by the Federal Reserve's "profits," which he asserted are currently nonexistent. Vought therefore made the decision not to request any funding from the Federal Reserve, making it all but certain that CFPB will run out of funding completely in January 2026.
Attorney General Brown and the coalition argue that Vought's decision not to seek any funding for the CFPB is unlawful and unconstitutional. Completely eliminating CFPB funding also violates the Separation of Powers principle, as the agency was established by Congress, which also created a process for it to regularly receive funding from the Federal Reserve.
Attorney General Brown and the coalition are seeking a court order preventing the administration from carrying out its decision not to request any funds for the CFPB and ordering the agency to request funding from the Federal Reserve to fulfill its duties as required by the law.
Joining Attorney General Brown in filing this lawsuit are the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Wisconsin.
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Original text here: https://oag.maryland.gov/News/pages/Attorney-General-Brown-Sues-Trump-Administration-to-Defend-Critical-Consumer-Protection-Efforts-.aspx
AG's Office Arraigns Salem Man For Possessing Materials To Create Explosive Devices
BOSTON, Massachusetts, Dec. 23 -- Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell issued the following news release:
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AG's Office Arraigns Salem Man For Possessing Materials To Create Explosive Devices
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SALEM The Massachusetts Attorney General's Office (AGO), in partnership with the Massachusetts State Police (MSP) and the Salem Police Department, today announced that Patrick Gordon, 42, of Salem was arrested and arraigned following an investigation that recovered illegal firearm devices and large quantities of materials that could be used to make incendiary devices. Gordon was arraigned
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BOSTON, Massachusetts, Dec. 23 -- Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell issued the following news release:
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AG's Office Arraigns Salem Man For Possessing Materials To Create Explosive Devices
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SALEM The Massachusetts Attorney General's Office (AGO), in partnership with the Massachusetts State Police (MSP) and the Salem Police Department, today announced that Patrick Gordon, 42, of Salem was arrested and arraigned following an investigation that recovered illegal firearm devices and large quantities of materials that could be used to make incendiary devices. Gordon was arraignedin Salem District Court today on the charges of Possession of an Incendiary Device and Possession of an Assault Weapon. His bail was set at $100,000 and his next court hearing will be on January 20, 2026.
On December 15, MSP received information that Gordon, who does not have a valid License to Carry or Firearm Identification Card, had ordered and shipped large capacity magazines to his mother's home in Bedford, New Hampshire. Investigators soon learned that over the past six months, Gordon had also ordered several firearm-related related items and a kit that can create four pounds of thermite to his apartment on Harbor Street in Salem.
On December 22, investigators obtained and executed a search warrant at Gordon's apartment, which uncovered several firearm pieces in violation of Massachusetts gun laws, including firearm parts commonly used in assault rifles, and a 3D printer that the AGO alleges Gordon used to manufacture ghost guns. Investigators seized large quantities of fuels and oxidizers that, when used alone or in combination, could be used to make destructive or incendiary devices. Investigators also located an unknown amount of flash powder - a highly energetic pyrotechnic mixture commonly associated with fireworks that burns quickly and produces a sudden bright flash. Flash powder is very sensitive to heat, shock, static electricity, and friction and is illegal to possess in any amount.
These charges are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Diana Fantasia with assistance from Chief Jennifer Kirshenbaum of the AGO's Enterprise and Major Crimes Division. MSP's Bomb Squad and Salem Police Department provided substantial assistance with the investigation.
* Office of the Attorney General
The Attorney General is the chief lawyer and law enforcement officer of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
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Original text here: https://www.mass.gov/news/ags-office-arraigns-salem-man-for-possessing-materials-to-create-explosive-devices
AG Campbell Wins Lawsuit To Protect Critical Homeland Security Funding From Politically Motivated Cuts
BOSTON, Massachusetts, Dec. 23 -- Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell issued the following news release:
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AG Campbell Wins Lawsuit To Protect Critical Homeland Security Funding From Politically Motivated Cuts
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BOSTON Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell, as part of a coalition of 12 attorneys general and the governor of Pennsylvania, won her lawsuit to stop the Trump Administration from unlawfully reallocating federal homeland security funding away from states based on their compliance with the Administration's political agenda.
"This victory ensures that
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BOSTON, Massachusetts, Dec. 23 -- Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell issued the following news release:
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AG Campbell Wins Lawsuit To Protect Critical Homeland Security Funding From Politically Motivated Cuts
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BOSTON Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell, as part of a coalition of 12 attorneys general and the governor of Pennsylvania, won her lawsuit to stop the Trump Administration from unlawfully reallocating federal homeland security funding away from states based on their compliance with the Administration's political agenda.
"This victory ensures thatthe Trump Administration cannot punish states that refuse to help carry out its cruel immigration agenda, particularly by denying them lifesaving funding that helps prepare for and respond to disasters and emergencies," said AG Campbell. "I will continue to hold the federal government accountable when they try to play politics with the safety and security of our residents."
On September 27, without any notice or explanation, and four days before the end of the federal fiscal year, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) significantly cut funding to certain states with agencies or municipalities that were unwilling to divert law enforcement resources away from core public safety services to assist in enforcing federal immigration law. The Trump Administration then reallocated the funds to other states.
On the day the funding was cut, FEMA issued award notifications for its single largest grant program, the Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP), which allocates approximately $1 billion in funds annually for state and municipal efforts to prevent, prepare for and respond to acts of terrorism. FEMA granted only $250 million to 12 states that the Trump Administration deemed unwilling to comply with its immigration agenda. That allocation marked a 49% reduction from the nearly $500 million that FEMA had previously stated it would provide to these states. Massachusetts received a 31% reduction in funds, totaling nearly $7 million.
In the lawsuit, filed September 29, AG Campbell and the coalition argued that the reallocation of funds was arbitrary and capricious and violated the federal Administrative Procedure Act. In its opinion, a U.S. District Court found that states' policies pertaining to federal immigration enforcement were a factor in DHS's decision to reallocate the funding. The court ordered DHS to amend the HSGP awards issued to the plaintiff states to reflect their previously announced funding allocations.
The court further held that other significant changes to emergency preparedness programs, also made at the last minute at the end of the federal fiscal year, were unlawful and set them aside. In those changes, DHS had cut the length of the grant awards from three years to one year. DHS had also required states, in order to receive emergency management funding, to certify their own populations as of September 30, 2025, while excluding individuals who had been "removed from the State pursuant to the immigration laws of the United States." The court held that these actions were also arbitrary and capricious.
Joining AG Campbell in filing the lawsuit were the attorneys general of California, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington, and the governor of Pennsylvania.
* Office of the Attorney General
The Attorney General is the chief lawyer and law enforcement officer of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
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Original text here: https://www.mass.gov/news/ag-campbell-wins-lawsuit-to-protect-critical-homeland-security-funding-from-politically-motivated-cuts
