Midwest Attorneys General Reflect on Legal Challenges Against Trump Administration
As President Donald Trump commemorates a year in office, Democratic attorneys general from Michigan and other Midwest states review their legal battles against his administration. Michigan’s involvement has spanned over 40 lawsuits addressing issues from birthright citizenship to federal funding restoration.
According to Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, these lawsuits have secured more than $2 billion for the state. She highlighted the vital role this funding plays for families needing childcare, healthcare providers serving Medicaid patients, and senior citizens relying on food assistance programs.
Nessel emphasized the importance of these legal actions, stating, “These are harms we prevented from fast, organized action. And we will continue to fight against these actions and protect our residents and to help keep them whole.” Her office often argued that the funding cuts were illegal, as they involved money already allocated by Congress or sanctioned by executive-branch departments.
The Trump administration justified these funding pauses as measures to eliminate what they termed government waste. However, the courts have halted most of these actions pending legal resolution.
Amidst these legal challenges, Trump has enacted significant changes within the federal government, including staff restructuring and agency dismantling, notably affecting the U.S. Department of Education.
Nessel reported difficulties in tracking funds earmarked for Michigan due to these changes. “I actually just had a meeting with superintendents from all around the state for independent school districts. And, with the dismantling of the U.S. Department of Education, sometimes they don’t even know who to call to find out where their money is,” she said.
While Nessel and her counterparts celebrated judicial successes, her involvement in these lawsuits has faced criticism from Michigan Republicans. The Michigan House of Representatives recently voted to limit the state attorney general’s powers in joining or initiating lawsuits independently.
State Representative Angela Rigas (R-Caledonia) remarked, “This package (of legislation) restores balance, protects constitutional rights, and stops the weaponization of our state government.”
Nessel suggested that political factors may prevent some individuals from openly appreciating the financial benefits these lawsuits secured. She also raised concerns about the federal government’s handling of Michiganders’ personal data.
This concern persists even after a federal lawsuit involving Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE (which was not an official cabinet department), was dismissed. Nessel accused DOGE of unauthorized access to social security data and private information, affecting crime victims and Medicaid recipients.
“This illegal manipulation of federal IT infrastructure by unauthorized individuals threatens not only state financial security, but also the integrity of critical national systems,” Nessel stated.
In response to these claims, the U.S. Justice Department defended DOGE’s activities, asserting that it lacked access to “systems of record.” Nevertheless, the department acknowledged that DOGE accessed more data than initially disclosed and utilized a third-party server for some data storage.
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