New York Attorney General Letitia James sued the Trump administration for holding back billions of dollars in federal education funding, joining along with more than 20 other states.
Last month, the U.S. Education Department blew past a deadline to administer six grant programs amid a federal review of how states are using the funds and whether their spending aligns with President Trump’s priorities.
In New York, roughly $463 million was expected to go toward teacher training, English language instruction, and after-school programs during next school year.
“The federal government cannot use our children’s classrooms to advance its assault on immigrant and working families,” James said in a statement. “This illegal and unjustified funding freeze will be devastating for students and families nationwide, especially for those who rely on these programs for childcare or to learn English.”
The Trump administration has accused states of using the federal funds to “subsidize a radical leftwing agenda,” including in New York to “promote illegal immigrant advocacy organizations.” In a news release on the lawsuit, the state’s attorney general office denied the allegation as “patently false.”
The attorneys general asked a federal judge to find the Trump administration overstepped its authority by freezing Congressionally-approved grants and direct the U.S. Eduction Department to cough up the funds.
“Congress allocated these funds and the law requires they be delivered,” James continued. We will not allow this administration to rewrite the rules to punish the communities it doesn’t like.”
If funding is not released by September, the attorney general’s office warned the number of New Yorkers impacted by the freeze will “grow exponentially.” At least 65,000 students could lose access to after-school or summer programs, and 80,000 people could be cut off from adult education and literacy services, according to estimates by the New York State Education Department.
There are also 67 full-time NYSED employees whose salaries and benefits are covered by the frozen funds. If not reversed, the department may be forced to lay people off, the release warned.
As of last week, the federal review was still ongoing and no final decisions had been made as to the future of the grant programs. The U.S. Education Department and Office of Management and Budget did not immediately return a request for comment.
