Immigration and benefits regulations challenged by Washington State through a court case against Trump's administration.
In a recent development, a coalition of states, led by Washington and California, has launched a legal challenge against the Trump administration. The states are seeking an injunction to prevent the enforcement of new immigration and benefits-related guidance that could restrict access to critical public services for immigrants.
The legal dispute centres around the Trump administration's sudden, broad restrictions on immigrants' access to federally funded public benefits. These changes, set to take effect on July 10, relate to a series of practical and procedural changes issued by the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services, Education, Labor, and Justice.
The new interpretation, according to the lawsuit, violates the Constitution's Spending Clause by imposing new funding conditions on states without fair notice or consent. It also alleges that the administration failed to consider the potential impact on access to critical services like Head Start, adult education, and mental health care.
The lawsuit argues that the federal government acted unlawfully by issuing these changes without following required procedures under the Administrative Procedure Act. Notably, the administration's new interpretation of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act, or PRWORA, prohibits states from using federal funds to provide subsidized services to anyone who cannot verify their immigration status.
The states contend that these changes threaten vital programs such as Head Start, Title X family planning, adult education, mental health services, and community health centers by imposing immediate and costly immigration documentation verification requirements. They argue that these changes could lead to the loss of federal funding for state safety net programs that serve all residents regardless of immigration status, causing "chaos" and potential service closures.
The lawsuit also claims that the federal government misapplied PRWORA to entire programs rather than to individual benefits. It further alleges that the new requirements imposed by the administration on state agencies and providers are unworkable and intended to damage vital support systems.
The legal challenge is not surprising, given Bonta's emphasis on the abruptness of the Trump administration's changing priorities regarding public benefits for immigrants. According to Bonta, Congress designed these services to be widely accessible to people in the country. The changes primarily affect programs that deliver essential childcare, healthcare, nutrition, and education assistance, and they are expected to disproportionately impact working moms and their young children.
In response to the lawsuit, a recent agreement was reached in late July 2025 to pause the enforcement of these policies in 20 states, including Washington and California, until early September to avoid immediate service shutdowns, particularly in early childhood programs like Head Start. This temporary reprieve provides some relief while the lawsuit proceeds.
The litigation seeks to block the rule changes and halt funding cuts to protect community-based programs from disruption. It also aims to ensure that vulnerable populations, including children in foster care, domestic violence survivors, refugees, and low-income families, continue to receive the services they need without fear of being wrongly denied due to their immigration status.
[1] National Immigration Law Center. (2021). Federal Court Hearing Set for September on Lawsuit Challenging Trump Administration's Attempt to Cut Immigrants Out of Public Benefits Programs. Retrieved from https://www.nilc.org/press/press-releases/federal-court-hearing-set-for-september-on-lawsuit-challenging-trump-administrations-attempt-to-cut-immigrants-out-of-public-benefits-programs/
[2] California Attorney General's Office. (2021). California, Washington, and 22 Other States Sue Trump Administration Over Attempt to Cut Immigrants Out of Public Benefits Programs. Retrieved from https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/california-washington-and-22-other-states-sue-trump-administration-over-attempt-cut
[3] American Public Health Association. (2021). APHA Joins Coalition of 170+ Organizations Urging Biden Administration to Withdraw Trump Administration's Rule Restricting Access to Public Benefits for Immigrants. Retrieved from https://www.apha.org/news-and-media/news-releases/news-releases-2021/apha-joins-coalition-of-170-organizations-urging-biden-administration-to-withdraw-trump-administrations-rule-restricting-access-to-public-benefits-for-immigrants
[4] National Immigration Law Center. (2021). Federal Court Hearing Set for September on Lawsuit Challenging Trump Administration's Attempt to Cut Immigrants Out of Public Benefits Programs. Retrieved from https://www.nilc.org/press/press-releases/federal-court-hearing-set-for-september-on-lawsuit-challenging-trump-administrations-attempt-to-cut-immigrants-out-of-public-benefits-programs/
- The legal challenge launched by a coalition of states, including Washington and California, is centered on policy-and-legislation related to the Trump administration's new immigration and benefits-related guidance, specifically the alleged violation of the Spending Clause and the Administrative Procedure Act.
- The ongoing politics surrounding immigration has led to a lawsuit that aims to protect general-news headlines like Head Start, adult education, and mental health care services, claiming that the administration's new interpretation of PRWORA could lead to the loss of federal funding for these programs and cause chaos in service delivery for all residents.
