Illinois Attorney General Sues Trump Administration Over Education Grant Freeze

Attorney General Kwame Raoul, along with a coalition of 25 states and attorneys general, has launched a lawsuit against the Trump administration for its unconstitutional and unlawful decision to freeze billions of dollars in education grants just weeks before the start of the school year. The lawsuit argues that the funding freeze violates federal funding statutes and the U.S. Constitution, and is causing significant harm to school budgets, programs, and families.

Key Takeaways:

• The lawsuit, filed on behalf of 25 states and attorneys general, challenges the Trump administration's decision to freeze $219 million in federal education funding for the 2024-2025 school year.
• The funds, which were expected to be released on July 1, are part of six longstanding education grants that have been used for programs such as educational programs for migrant children and English learners, community learning centers, and adult education and workforce development efforts.
• The coalition argues that the funding freeze is unconstitutional and unlawful, and is causing harm to school budgets, programs, and families, including affecting essential summer school and afterschool programs, teacher training programs, and programs that make school more accessible to children with special learning needs.
• The lawsuit seeks to declare the funding freeze unlawful, block any attempts to withhold or delay the funding, and order the defendants to comply with their statutory and constitutional duties and immediately release the illegally withheld funds to the states.
• Illinois and its coalition partners estimate that they will receive around 25% of the funds for these programs on or about July 1, but the Trump administration's decision has left a gaping hole in the state's education budget.
• The plaintiffs highlight that Congress, not the executive branch, has the power of the purse, and that the Constitution does not afford the executive branch the power to unilaterally refuse to spend appropriations that were passed by both houses of Congress and signed into law.

Statistics:

• $219 million: The estimated amount of federal education funding that Illinois was expecting to receive for the 2024-2025 school year, which is now frozen.
• 6: The number of longstanding education grants that have been affected by the funding freeze.
• 25%: The percentage of funds for these programs that the U.S. Department of Education makes available to states on or about July 1.
• 25 states and attorneys general: The number of states and attorneys general that have joined the lawsuit against the Trump administration.

Sources:

• Press Release, Office of the Illinois Attorney General, "Attorney General Kwame Raoul Leads Coalition of 25 States in Lawsuit Against Trump Administration Over Education Grant Freeze" (no date listed).
• Press Release, Office of the Illinois Attorney General, "Attorney General Kwame Raoul Announces Lawsuit Against Trump Administration Over Education Grant Freeze" (no date listed).