California files lawsuit against Trump administration to prevent misuse of public safety funds
In May 2026, after the Trump administration dropped its appeal of a final order that had permanently resolved a Homeland Security grant lawsuit in California's favor, the state announced another multi-state lawsuit challenging last-minute HSGP cuts.
By Purushottam Dhakal, LOS ANGELES:- Governor Gavin Newsom, in partnership with Attorney General Rob Bonta, announced today that California is leading a multi-state lawsuit to block unlawful federal attempts to condition public safety funding on election-related political demands. The federal government has been withholding funds intended for states for election purposes.
Governor Gavin Newsom says, “Time and again, courts have ruled that Trump’s corrupt administration cannot force California to do its bidding by threatening to withhold public safety funds. Yet, they keep coming back for more. This time, they are demanding that states rewrite their own election laws to access funds—already approved by Congress—intended for public safety preparedness and response. We will not allow this.”
“There is little support for either President Trump’s mass deportation agenda or his baseless claims of election fraud, so instead, he is attempting to coerce state and local governments into adopting his preferred policies in exchange for much-needed funding,” said Attorney General Bonta. “The administration has already lost similar battles in court, and we expect this latest unlawful attempt to fail as well. Our communities deserve better than to have essential resources caught up in political games.”
The funds targeted by the lawsuit are the $150 million in annual public safety grants authorized by Congress—administered by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)—which help states and their cities prevent, mitigate, respond to, and recover from terrorism and other catastrophic security incidents.
California has filed a lawsuit to protect funds supporting state-level efforts that help train first responders, strengthen cybersecurity, improve emergency communications, purchase critical equipment, and prepare public agencies for serious threats.
California has rejected three politically motivated demands from the Trump administration: verifying voter citizenship through an error-prone federal system, switching to hand-marked paper ballots, and reconciling ballots using an undefined federal method. States that fail to comply could lose 20% of their HSGP award.
Similarly, regarding the immigration enforcement mandate: states would be compelled to expend state and local budgets—including personnel and other resources—to assist with federal civil immigration enforcement. Courts have already blocked these very provisions.
Furthermore, the disaster fund is under fire: FEMA faces accusations of creating uncertainty regarding emergency management resources—approved by Congress to support states and local communities—by granting itself broad authority to cut funding at any time based on vague and subjective “agency priorities.”
The coalition of states filing the lawsuit argues that the Trump administration’s requirements are unlawful because Congress never authorized DHS or FEMA to impose broad conditions on these federal grants, the agencies failed to follow required decision-making procedures, and the requirements violate the Spending Clause by coercing states through vague and ambiguous funding conditions that are entirely unrelated to the purpose of the funding programs.
According to Newsom, this issue is part of a broader effort to push back against attempts to interfere with California’s election administration. In May, Governor Newsom signed Senate Bill 73 to strengthen California’s election security; the bill includes stringent safeguards regarding ballots, voting technology, and law enforcement interference in the election process.
In 2025, Attorney General Bonta filed a lawsuit challenging immigration-related conditions attached to federal Homeland Security and transportation grants, arguing that these conditions were unrelated to the purpose of the funding and exceeded federal authority. A federal court subsequently permanently enjoined the DHS conditions.
In May 2026, after the Trump administration dropped its appeal of a final order that had permanently resolved a Homeland Security grant lawsuit in California’s favor, the state announced another multi-state lawsuit challenging last-minute HSGP cuts.
