On January 8, 2026, New York Attorney General Letitia James, California Attorney General Rob Bonta, Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul, and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison sued the Trump administration challenging its attempt to freeze $10 billion in federal funding that provides critical support for children and families. These funds give low-income families access to child care, allowing members of those families to work or go to school. Additionally, the funds provide access to after-school and summer programming. The funding is also used to provide temporary cash assistance to families in need and fund programs that help families achieve or maintain economic self-sufficiency and address neglect, abuse or exploitation of children and vulnerable adults.

On January 6, 2025, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) sent boilerplate letters to the coalition states purporting to immediately freeze federal funds under the Child Care and Development Fund , Temporary Assistance for Needy Families , and the Social Services Block Grant (SSBG) programs.  According to HHS, the funding freeze was being imposed immediately and exclusively on the five states because of purported “serious concerns about widespread fraud and misuse of taxpayer dollars.” HHS has not provided any evidence at all to support those claims. In addition, HHS is demanding that, within 14 days, the five states produce virtually all documents associated with the implementation of the three critical programs impacted by the funding freeze, as well as years of data — including personally identifiable information — concerning individuals who received benefits under those programs. 

In their lawsuit, the attorneys general allege that the funding freeze violates the Administrative Procedure Act, the Separation of Powers, and the U.S. Constitution’s Appropriations Clause and Spending Clause. They ask the court to block the freeze and the extraordinarily overbroad demands for documents and data. The attorneys general are also seeking a temporary restraining order in light of the irreparable harm that their states face.

Once again, the most vulnerable families in our communities are bearing the brunt of this administration’s campaign of chaos and retribution. After jeopardizing food assistance and health care, this administration is now threatening to cut off childcare and other critical programs that parents depend on to provide for their children. As New Yorkers struggle with the rising cost of living, I will not allow this administration to play political games with the resources families need to help make ends meet. Attorney General Letitia James