Minnesota AG Sues Trump Administration Over Blocked Public Health Grants

AG: Minnesota Communications

Filed March 13th, 2026

Detected March 18th, 2026

Summary

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison has secured a preliminary injunction against the Trump administration, blocking the unlawful termination of over $600 million in federal public health grants. The ruling protects $42 million in funding for Minnesota, which is crucial for disease tracking, emergency preparedness, and public health services.

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What changed

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, along with a coalition of other state AGs, successfully obtained a preliminary injunction against the Trump administration's directive to terminate over $600 million in federal public health grants. The lawsuit, filed against the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and other agencies, alleged that the directive to claw back funds from states like Minnesota (amounting to over $42 million) was arbitrary, capricious, and exceeded statutory authority under the Administrative Procedure Act. This injunction halts the termination of these critical CDC grants, which support disease outbreak tracking, data systems, emergency preparedness, and public health workforce in Minnesota and other states.

This development is significant for public health operations in Minnesota and potentially other affected states. Regulated entities, specifically state health departments and their contractors, should be aware that the funding previously threatened is now protected by this preliminary injunction. While the legal challenge continues, the immediate threat of funding cuts has been averted. The ruling underscores the importance of federal grant funding for public health infrastructure and the potential legal challenges to administrative actions that abruptly alter or terminate such funding without proper justification. Compliance officers should note the legal basis for the challenge (APA violations) as a potential precedent for future administrative overreach claims.

What to do next

Review federal grant agreements for potential vulnerabilities to administrative challenges.
Monitor ongoing litigation regarding federal grant terminations and administrative authority.
Ensure continued compliance with all terms of existing public health grants.

Source document (simplified)

Attorney General Ellison issues statement on preliminary injunction blocking Trump administration’s unlawful termination of over $600 million in federal public health grants

Preliminary injunction protects $42 million in funding for Minnesota

March 13, 2026 (SAINT PAUL) — Attorney General Keith Ellison today issued the following statement after a federal court judge granted his motion for a preliminary injunction to enjoin the federal government from halting health-related funding to states and void the public health grant terminations that have already occurred.

Last month, Attorney General Ellison and a coalition of attorneys general from Illinois, California, and Colorado sued the Trump administration over the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) directive to target those states and unlawfully cut more than $600 million in Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) grants based on its policy disagreements with those states. The court previously granted a temporary restraining order in this case, which lasted 28 days. The unlawful directive would claw back over $42 million in grants already awarded to the state of Minnesota, with more threatened cuts to come.

“I am pleased to have stopped the Trump administration from slashing funding the CDC provides to Minnesota to support our health and well-being. This funding is used to track disease outbreaks, provide public health services in rural areas, prepare for emergencies, and so much more,” said Attorney General Ellison. “It remains deeply alarming that Trump and his lackies are still so hell-bent on harming Minnesotans. We deserve a president who looks out for all Americans, and it’s a profound shame that our current president is instead trying to punish Americans who may not have supported him.”

The unlawful directive would have clawed back over $42 million in grants already awarded to the state of Minnesota, with more threatened cuts to come. The grant funding allows states to track disease outbreaks, maintain and improve their data systems, and collect basic public health data the CDC relies upon. These funding cuts would also force states to lay off hundreds of trained public health professionals.

The largest grant targeted in this federal directive is the Public Health Infrastructure Block Grant (PHIG), which operates in all 50 states and funds both critical short-term infrastructure, workforce needs and long-lasting strategic investment. For example, in Minnesota, the PHIG fully or partially funds 57 Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) staff who handle a variety of important projects, ranging from public health outreach to rural Minnesota, disease tracking, emergency preparedness training and planning, and much more. PHIG also provide at least partial funding for approximately 200 Community Health Board positions across Minnesota. These positions include public health nurses directly responsible for the care and well-being of Minnesotans.

In their complaint, Attorney General Ellison and the coalition allege that OMB’s directive commanding agencies to cut funding, along with its implementation, violates the Constitution and the Administrative Procedure Act because it is arbitrary and capricious and exceeds the agencies’ statutory authority.