Four Democratic-led states that have become frequent targets of President Donald Trump sued Wednesday to try to block his administration from cutting off hundreds of millions in public health grants.
The Department of Health and Human Services told Congress on Monday that it planned to withhold about $600 million in grant funding allocated to the four states: California, Colorado, Illinois and Minnesota. Their attorneys general argue the cuts are backlash for the states' opposition to Trump's immigration crackdown.
The lawsuit says the cuts violate the Constitution by imposing retroactive conditions on funding and asks a federal court in Illinois to block them from taking effect.
Some grants could be terminated as soon as Thursday, and others in the coming weeks, Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser said.
Health officials have said the grants — several focused on LGBTQ+ people and communities of color — are ''inconsistent with agency priorities'' as the Trump administration has shifted away from supporting programs for specific populations. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revised its priorities in September, dubbing health equity an ''ideologically-laden'' concept that "has undermined core American values.''
Health department officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the lawsuit.
The administration also plans to pull hundreds of millions in transportation funding from the same four states.
Courts have temporarily blocked similar efforts by the administration to restrict federal funds.
