Overview
- California Attorney General Rob Bonta co‑led a coalition of 24 attorneys general plus the governors of Kentucky and Pennsylvania in a federal lawsuit filed Thursday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island.
- The complaint challenges conditions that would require states to adopt specific election rules—including hand‑marked paper ballots, manual audits, and voter citizenship checks using the SAVE database—link grant eligibility to cooperation with federal immigration enforcement, and permit FEMA to terminate funds on vague agency priorities.
- Plaintiffs argue DHS and FEMA lack statutory authority, failed required rulemaking procedures, and are coercing states in violation of the Constitution’s Spending Clause while also asserting claims under the Administrative Procedure Act.
- The grants at issue include the Homeland Security Grant Program, which funds first responders, cybersecurity and emergency planning, plus other FEMA programs such as the Emergency Management Performance Grant Program; California receives about $150 million a year in HSGP funds.
- The case is in an early, pre‑adjudication stage, the administration had not responded to requests for comment, and the suit follows prior state victories in 2025 and a May 2026 resolution that blocked similar DHS conditions.