12 States Sue Trump Over ‘Illegal’ Tariffs That Could Send Prices Soaring and Jobs Disappearing

Twelve U.S. states have taken legal action against the Trump administration, accusing it of unlawfully raising taxes on Americans through tariffs. These tariffs were put in place using a law called the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), which gives the president special powers during national emergencies. But the lawsuit argues that this law was never meant to be used to create tariffs and that Trump has gone beyond what the law allows.

The states claim that in the 50 years since the law was created, no president has used it to put tariffs in place, even during times when the country faced serious drug-related issues or major trade deficits. They believe Congress never intended for the law to be used in this way.

This group of states joins others who have already sued the Trump administration over the same issue. A group of small businesses and a civil rights organization have also filed lawsuits saying the administration doesn’t have the legal authority to impose these tariffs.

The Trump administration argues that the U.S. trade deficit is a national emergency, which gives the president the right to act under the IEEPA. But the states disagree, saying the tariffs will actually hurt Americans by making everyday goods more expensive, increasing inflation, and costing people their jobs.

The attorneys general from New York, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, and Vermont filed the lawsuit in the U.S. Court of International Trade. They’re asking the court to block the tariffs and stop other global tariffs that had been paused earlier this month from going into effect.

New York’s Attorney General, Letitia James, said Trump had promised to reduce costs for Americans, but his tariffs are doing the opposite and could seriously damage the economy.

California also filed its own separate lawsuit, saying the tariffs have already caused serious harm to the state and its residents.