Attorney General Dana Nessel has joined 21 other states in a legal challenge against the Trump Administration over its abrupt freeze of $6.8 billion in federal education funds. The lawsuit argues the freeze violates federal laws and constitutional provisions by halting already-approved funding for six key programs that support students with the greatest needs—such as English learners, migratory children, and adult learners. In Michigan alone, approximately $171 million is at stake, funding programs overseen by the Departments of Education (MDE), Lifelong Education (MiLEAP), and Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO). These programs help support summer learning, teacher training, community enrichment, and adult education—many of which are already being disrupted.
Nessel and state education leaders are calling the move both illegal and harmful. Local schools had already made hiring decisions, signed contracts, and planned programming based on funds Congress appropriated and the Department of Education previously approved. Without intervention, school districts and adult education providers will be forced to scale back or cancel vital services just weeks before the school year begins. The lawsuit seeks immediate court action to restore the funding and prevent further disruption to educational programs that serve vulnerable student populations.
