James wins court order stopping mass closure of AmeriCorps programs

New York Attorney General Letitia James won a court order on Thursday, June 5, stopping the Trump administration’s mass closure of AmeriCorps programs and requiring the reinstatement of thousands of volunteers nationwide.

On April 29, Attorney General James joined a coalition of 24 other states in suing the Trump administration to stop cuts to AmeriCorps after the administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) directed the agency to end the service of thousands of volunteers and canceled hundreds of millions of dollars of grants.

On Thursday, the US District Court for the District of Maryland granted a preliminary injunction based on a motion brought by Attorney General James and the coalition. This halts the administration’s policies to close AmeriCorps programs and strip communities of the valuable services their members provide.  

“The administration’s unlawful cuts to AmeriCorps are a direct attack on one of our nation’s most valuable community service programs,” said Attorney General James. “From providing housing assistance to protecting our environment, AmeriCorps members are a vital lifeline for communities across the country.

“I will continue to stand in firm defense of AmeriCorps and its indispensable role in strengthening our nation,” she vowed.

Attorney General James and the coalition argued in their lawsuit and motion for a preliminary injunction that the administration’s attacks on AmeriCorps, which oversees more than 200,000 volunteers nationwide, are illegal and unconstitutional.

Authorized by Congress, James said AmeriCorps has operated as an independent federal government agency since 1993, providing “critical services in vulnerable communities including housing assistance, environmental restoration, and tutoring and mentor services for students.”

The preliminary injunction granted on Thursday ensures AmeriCorps programs can continue and halts the Trump administration’s attempts to eliminate AmeriCorps’ programs and volunteers.

Joining Attorney General James in filing this lawsuit are the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia, along with the states of Kentucky and Pennsylvania.