A coalition of 12 states is taking the Trump administration to court, alleging it imposed tariffs without proper legal authority and wreaked havoc on the U.S. economy. The lawsuit, filed Wednesday in the U.S. Court of International Trade in New York, challenges the administration’s use of emergency powers to justify the sweeping economic measures.
The states — Oregon, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, New York and Vermont — argue that President Trump’s trade policy is not grounded in legitimate threats or legal standards. Instead, they claim it has been driven by his “whims rather than the sound exercise of lawful authority.”
At the heart of the lawsuit is the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), which permits presidential action only in the event of a foreign crisis. The states contend that no such crisis exists to justify the administration’s sweeping use of emergency powers. (RELATED: America’s Rare Earth Reckoning: A $15 Billion Path To Independence)
In a press release, Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes (D) unleashed a blistering critique of the policy, calling it “illegal,” “insane” and “economically reckless.” Connecticut Attorney General William Tong (D) was relatively measured in his outrage, labeling the tariffs a “tax on families and businesses.”
NBC News has the latest in the ongoing legal battle over the president’s authority to regulate foreign commerce:
The legal challenge, led by Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes and Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield, seeks to halt the enforcement of the global tariffs Trump levied that invoked a wartime law granting presidents the power to oversee trade if the United States is in a state of emergency.
“By claiming the authority to impose immense and ever-changing tariffs on whatever goods entering the United States he chooses, for whatever reason he finds convenient to declare an emergency, the President has upended the constitutional order and brought chaos to the American economy,” said the complaint Democratic attorneys general filed in the U.S. Court of International Trade.
New York Attorney General Letitia James, a frequent target of Trump’s attacks, argued that the tariffs “will lead to more inflation, unemployment, and economic damage” and that U.S. consumers will be forced to foot the bill for what amount to high import taxes.
The lawsuit cites four tariff-focused executive orders signed by Trump. Each one invoked the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, a law that grants presidents permission to make trade decisions without congressional approval under declarations of national emergencies.
“The purported ‘unusual and extraordinary threat’ identified by President Trump as ‘national emergencies’ do not amount to emergencies. Nor are they extraordinary or even unusual,” the lawsuit claims.
Meanwhile, California has filed a separate lawsuit, warning that the continuation of the tariffs could result in billions of dollars in economic fallout for the state.
The Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. (RELATED: Justice Department Invokes State Secrets In Tren De Aragua Deportation Case)
But the Trump administration isn’t backing down. White House spokesperson Kush Desai defended the policy, stating the administration remains committed to confronting a national economic emergency that’s decimating America’s industries and leaving workers behind. Fields said the administration will continue to use every tool available — including tariffs and trade negotiations — to protect U.S. jobs and manufacturing.
“Once again, Democrats like Letitia James are prioritizing a witch hunt against President Trump over protecting the safety and wellbeing of their constituents.” Desai added.
The lawsuit is the latest in a string of challenges to Trump’s aggressive trade strategy. Whether it holds up in court could shape how future presidents use emergency powers on economic issues.
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Not one of these “leaders” seems to know that Tariffs were the income of the United States prior to 1913. This isn’t some wild unknown venture. It’s merely going back to where we were before the Federal Reserve takeover! 1913 is also when income tax began!
Actually, we were swindled by the Big Banks. The monetary takeover was complete.
The nation should profit from international trade, and not Rob its citizens annually.
I suspect the naysayers have some sort of personal interest in the status quo!
THE BLUE STATE ATTORNEYS NEED TO LEARN THAT TRUMP IS ON THE PATH TO MAKING DEALS WITH ALL OF OUR TRADE PARTNERS!! HE’S WORKING TO LEVEL THE PLAYING FIELD FOR OUR COUNTRY’S MANUFACTURING!!! IN THE END, THE CITIZENS WIN!!!
In AZ the idiot Hobbs and the two senators do not speak for this state. We have to have better elections. Hobbs is overseeing her own elections and fixing them for her and the senators. That is a conflict of interest and certainly illegal. AZ needs to make sure we overwhelm the illegal aliens in the state voting because Hobbs is enabling them. And let her know we are not against Trump representing us in the tariff wars. Stupid dimwit nitwits don’t like winning evidently. Come on AZ vote for smarter people! I voted Trump in 2016, 2020 and 2024. He is a business person and between him and Musk this nation will be running much better within a year.
Notice they are all Democratic states !