⚖️ Rhode Island Leads 25-State Lawsuit Against FEMA Grant Rules States Say Emergency Funds Can't Be Tied To Immigration And Elections 👇

Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha is leading a coalition of 25 states and the District of Columbia in a federal lawsuit challenging new Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) requirements that tie homeland security grant funding to federal immigration and election security policies. Filed in federal court on July 23, the lawsuit argues that the federal government exceeded its legal authority by attaching conditions unrelated to the purpose of the grants, placing critical public safety funding at risk for states that do not comply.

At issue is the Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP), which provides funding for emergency preparedness, counterterrorism efforts, cybersecurity, hazardous materials response, bomb squads, and other public safety initiatives. Under the new requirements, states could lose at least 20% of their grant funding unless they adopt measures including expanded election security procedures, citizenship verification for voter registration databases, manual ballot audits, and increased cooperation between local law enforcement agencies and federal immigration authorities. The plaintiff states estimate that roughly $148 million in funding is at stake.

The lawsuit contends that Congress appropriated the grant money to strengthen emergency preparedness rather than to influence state election administration or immigration enforcement. The coalition argues the new conditions violate both the Administrative Procedure Act and the Spending Clause of the U.S. Constitution by attempting to compel states to implement unrelated federal policy priorities through financial pressure.

Federal officials defended the changes, arguing the requirements promote election integrity and national security while ensuring taxpayer dollars support broader public safety objectives. The case is expected to become another significant legal challenge over the scope of federal authority to attach policy conditions to congressionally authorized grants, with the outcome potentially affecting state emergency management programs across the country, including several New England states participating in the lawsuit.

Do you think the federal government should be allowed to attach policy requirements to homeland security grants provided to states?