Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced Monday that her office has secured more than $3.453 billion for state residents by legally challenging a wave of federal policies implemented over the last year and a half.
Since the Trump administration took office in January 2025, the state’s top legal officer has filed 56 lawsuits to protect federal funding, public services, and constitutional protections. According to the Attorney General’s office, the aggressive legal strategy has yielded nearly 40 victories, either through direct court orders or because federal agencies withdrew or reversed contested policies after being sued.
“I will not stand idly by while the Trump administration threatens the well-being of Michigan residents and upends the rule of law,” Nessel said in a statement. “My office has fought to ensure that billions in funding continue to rightfully reach Michiganders. Whether we are defending public education, healthcare, disaster relief, or your constitutional rights, our priority has and will continue to be protecting the people of this state.”
The multi-billion-dollar sum includes safeguarded revenue for an array of state-level operations. Court victories prevented funding cuts to local library services, disaster mitigation, public health initiatives, medical research, and crime victim services.
The legal actions also protected targeted funds for student mental health resources, wind energy projects, electric vehicle infrastructure, and state-level energy programs. Furthermore, the lawsuits blocked the implementation of new federal conditions on heavily utilized safety-net programs, including housing assistance, transportation infrastructure, disaster relief, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
Beyond financial impacts, the litigation successfully halted several specific policy directives. The state blocked the construction of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center in Romulus and halted a proposed $100,000 tax payment on new H-1B visa petitions, which businesses use to fill frontline labor shortages.
Other legal actions stopped planned service reductions for AmeriCorps, a major overhaul of the federal Department of Health and Human Services, and attempts to restrict birthright citizenship—a topic the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to rule on this week.
Data privacy and constitutional authority formed the final pillar of the state’s legal campaign. The Attorney General’s office successfully argued against federal data-collection efforts targeting the personal information of Medicaid and SNAP recipients. On constitutional grounds, the state blocked federal rules aimed at restricting access to transgender care for youth, implementing nationwide voting restrictions, and interfering with Michigan’s independent authority to run its own elections.
To keep the public updated on these ongoing battles, the state has launched an online platform called the Federal Actions Tracker, which provides real-time updates on all litigation involving the state and federal governments.
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