WASHINGTON — The attorneys general of five Democratic-led states filed a lawsuit Thursday against President Donald Trump's administration after it said it would freeze money for several public benefit programsciting concerns about fraud in programs designed to help low-income families.
The states – California, Colorado, Minnesota, Illinois and New York – called the move an unconstitutional abuse of power. Earlier this week, the Trump administration announced it was suspending funding for the Social Security system. Funding was allocated to three federal programs, two of which are aimed at families with children out of poverty.
New York Attorney General Letitia James, who is leading the lawsuit, said the Trump administration was exceeding its authority by freezing billions of dollars in funds that Congress had already approved for states.
The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, asks the courts to order the administration to end the freeze and release the funds.
“Once again, the most vulnerable families in our communities are bearing the brunt of this administration’s campaign of chaos and retaliation,” James said.
This week, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services told five states it was freezing their money for the Child Care and Development Fund, which subsidizes care for low-income children; the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, which provides cash assistance and job training; and a social services block grant.
HHS officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the lawsuit.
About half of the $10 billion allocated by the Trump administration went to California programs, state Attorney General Rob Bont said.
In letters to states, Alex J. Adams, assistant secretary for Children and Families, wrote that HHS had “reason to believe” that states were providing benefits to people who were in the U.S. illegally, without disclosing any details of the allegations. They asked for a ton of data, including the names and Social Security numbers of everyone who received certain benefits.
“The letters ask California to turn over virtually every document ever related to the state's implementation of these federal programs and to do so within 14 days, by January 20, including personal information about program participants,” Bonta said. “This is deeply disturbing and at the same time deeply disappointing.”
The government has stepped up scrutiny of the child care subsidy program after a conservative YouTuber posted a video alleging that child care centers in Minneapolis committed fraud of up to $100 million. The child care centers were run by members of the city's Somali community, which has often been maligned by Trump and targeted by immigration authorities.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, Democrat, defended his state's response and said his state is taking aggressive action to prevent further fraud.
