6 events in Passaic County with a date

Where NJ stands on its suits vs. Trump

More than two dozen cases await rulings

By: Katie Sobko
NorthJersey.com
USA Today Network - New Jersey

..... As President Donald Trump began his second term with a spree of executive orders in January, [2025] Governor Phil Murphy said he would defend New Jersey's values.
..... At the time, the governor said that defense wou9ld include litigation and said "our biggest weapon historically, over three years alongside the trump administration, has been the bully pulpit and a whole lot of legal action."
..... New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin has not shied away from questioning the legality of some of Trump's actions and New Jersey is now involved in more than two dozen legal proceedings.
..... Here's a look at where many of those cases stand:

Birthright citizenship

..... Among the first rodes signed by Trump was one to end birthright citizenship in the United States. Platkin was joined by 18 other states as well as the District of Columbia and San Francisco in a lawsuit that alleges the order violate the constitutional rights to which all children born in the United States are entitled.
..... Trump's order is on hold as of July 10 [2025] despite a Supreme Court ruling that restricted nationwide injunctions. Appeals are pending.

Teacher training programs

..... New Jersey, California, Massachusetts, Colorado, Illinois, Maryland, New York and Wisconsin filed a lawsuit after Trump cut off U.S. Education Department grants to fund teacher preparation programs. The case is pending.

OMB funding freeze

..... Platkin and 22 other attorneys general field a lawsuit to stop a federal funding freeze by the Office of Management and budget. A judge issued a preliminary injunction in their favor.
..... A temporary restraining order needed to halt the freeze was granted days later in the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island.

NIH

..... Twenty-two states, including New Jersey, are involved in a lawsuit regarding the cuts to funding for medical and public health to research at university and research-institutions across the country
..... Most National Institutes of health-funded research occurs outside of federal government institutions at places such as public and private universities and colleges. in New Jersey this includes Rutgers university, Rowan university, The College of New Jersey, Kean university, Montclair State University, the New Jersey Institute of Technology, Rampoo College, Stockton University, Princeton University, Stevens University of Technology, Seton Hall University and Fairliegh Dickinson University.
..... Last month, [06/2025] a federal judge order the grants to be reinstated. The administration has appealed.

DOGE

..... There was a lawsuit filed by Platkin and 18 other attorneys general to argue that the administration illegally provided Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency "unauthorized access to the Treasury Department's central payment system, and therefore to Americans' most sensitive personal information, including bank accounts details and social security numbers."

Federal employee firings

..... New Jersey and 20 other states filed a lawsuit against several federal agencies for conducting mass layoffs of federal probationary employees.
..... A preliminary injunction was issued and is being appealed.

Department of Education

..... Platkin and 20 other states sued to stop Trump from dismantling the federal Department of Education. The suit is ongoing.

Public Health Funding

..... A coalition of 23 states sand the District of Columbia filed suit against the federal Department of Heath and Human Services and Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., terminating nearly $11 billion in critical public health grants to the states, in federal funding for New Jersey.
..... A temporary restraining order was grant. The suit is ongoing.

DEI-related grants

..... This time 16 states sued because grants were ended or would not be considered because they included terms, such as "gender identity," "diversity, equity, and inclusion." The suit is ongoing.

Elections executive order

..... New Jersey and 19 other states sued Trump and his administration for trying to implement voting restitutions. A preliminary injunction was issued.

Museums and libraries

..... A coalition of 21 attorneys general field suit against the Trump administration to stop an executive order set on dismantling the Institute of Museum an Library Services, the minority Business Development Agency and the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service. These agencies proved services and funding supporting public libraries and museums, workers and minority-owned businesses nationwide. The suit is ongoing.

Education funding

..... Platkin joined 15 other attorneys general and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro in a lawsuit to restore states' access to essential U.S. Department of Education programs that provide funding for services to address the long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on K-12 students.
..... This includes about $85 million in education funding for New Jersey. The suit is ongoing.

Title VI

..... New Jersey and 18 other states field a lawsuit to challenge the U.S. Department of Education;s threat to withhold federal funding from state education agencies and local school districts that don't adhere to the Trump administration's interpretation of title VI of the civil Rights Act of 1965 with respect to diversity, equity and inclusion efforts.

AmeriCorps

..... A coalition of 23 attorneys general and two states field a lawsuit to challenge the Trump administration's efforts to dismantle AmeriCorps, an independent federal agency that addresses the country's educational public safety and environmental needs.
..... The suit is ongoing.

Wind energy

..... New Jersey joined a coalition of 18 attorneys general in a lawsuit against the Trump administration over its unlawful attempt to halt the development of wind energy. The suit is ongoing.

Health and Human Services

..... Platkin joined 19 other attorneys general in a lawsuit against Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and other Trump administration officials to stop the unlawful dismantling of HHS.
..... They allege that by firing thousands of workers, ending programs and cutting funding, they have removed the "resources necessary to effectively serve the American people." The suit is ongoing.

Electric vehicles

..... Platkin joined a lawsuit to stop the Trump administration from withholding billions in congressionally approved funding for electric vehicle infrastructure. New Jersey stands to lose $73 million in electric vehicle infrastructure funding. A preliminary injunction was issued.

California National Guard

..... A coalition of 18 attorneys germinal released a statement condemning the Trump administration for unlawfully deploying the California National guard against protesters in California.

Energy emergency

..... This lawsuit was filed in response to a Trump executive order that would allow several agencies to issue permits on an emergency basis.

FEMA and DOT

..... Platkin co-led a coalition of attorneys general in two lawsuits to prevent the Trump administration from withholding billions in federal funding for law enforcement, counter terrorism, emergency services, disaster preparation and relief, and repairs to crumbling transportation infrastructure unless the states commit to redirecting their resources toward federal civil immigration enforcement.

Nation la Science Foundation

..... A coalition of attorneys general sued the Trump administration for trying to cut critical National Science Foundation programs and funding hat help maintain the United Sates' position as a global leader in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).

Machine guns

..... Platkin sued the Trump administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firecrackers and Explosives over its official plan to distribute thousand of machine gun conversion devises into communities across the United States.

Clean vehicles

..... A lawsuit field by the coalition of attorney general challenged the sue of the congressional Review Act to disapprove sate Advanced Clean Cars II, Omnibus and Advanced Clean Trucks standards, which they allege was done to shut down state clean energy policies.

Funding cuts

..... The attorney general is leading a lawsuit against the administration over its attempts to invoke a single provision buried in the federal regulations to strip away billions of dollars in critical federal funding for states and other grantees. The lawsuit seeks to limit the Trump administration's use of this regulation to terminate critical funding.

Personal health data sharing

..... Most recently, Platkin joined a multi-state coalition to file a suit challenging the U.S. Department of Helaht and Human Services' decision to allow access to individual personal health data to the Department of Homeland Security, which houses Mitigation and Customs Enforcement, in violation of multiple federal laws.

..... Katie Sobko covers the Statehouse. Email sobko@northjersey.com

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