Attorney General Tong Secures Agreement Blocking Trump Administration from Repeating AmeriCorps Cuts

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09/10/2026

Attorney General Tong Secures Agreement Blocking Trump Administration from Repeating AmeriCorps Cuts

(Hartford, CT) - Attorney General William Tong as part of a coalition of 23 attorneys general and two governors today announced an agreement to stop the Trump administration from dismantling AmeriCorps again without warning. The settlement resolves a multistate lawsuit brought in response to the administration's repeated attempts to gut the nation's volunteer service programs. Previously, as a result of the lawsuit, the Trump administration was forced to reinstate nearly $400 million in terminated AmeriCorps programs and agreed to release over $184 million in funds to service programs in Connecticut and across the country. This settlement protects the funding and participants of those programs for Fiscal Year 2026 as well.

"Gutting AmeriCorps was a shortsighted, irrational attack on communities across Connecticut and our country's proud, longstanding tradition of giving back. At a time when so many families are struggling to cover basic needs, robbing communities of the volunteers who stock our food pantries, tutor our kids, assist homebound seniors, and support our veterans was beyond cruel. We sued, we forced Donald Trump to release $184 million in funds, and now we're making him promise never to repeat this brainless move again. And if he violates this agreement, he knows we won't hesitate to sue him-and beat him-- again," said Attorney General Tong.

AmeriCorps supports national and state community service programs by funding and placing volunteers in local and national organizations that address critical community needs. Organizations rely on support from AmeriCorps to recruit, place, and supervise AmeriCorps members nationwide.

As of the 2024 program year, AmeriCorps engaged 2,255 members and volunteers across 253 service locations throughout Connecticut, contributing to a total investment of $12.4 million in the state. Locally, AmeriCorps programs secured over $2.9 million in external funding from businesses, foundations, public agencies, and other sources across Connecticut. This local investment amplified community impact and enhanced the value of taxpayer contributions.

Under the terms of the settlement, AmeriCorps states that it does not anticipate that, during Fiscal Year 2026, it will terminate grants en masse as it did in Spring 2025, conduct reductions in force of union employees beyond certain previously planned cuts, or dismiss AmeriCorps service members en masse. Should AmeriCorps take any of those actions, or make a material change to its delivery of volunteer services, it must provide the coalition states with written notice at least 30 days in advance and identify the legal authority under which it is taking the action.

AmeriCorps has also agreed to commit substantially all of its Fiscal Year 2026 funding by September 30, 2026, and to administer its National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) and AmeriCorps VISTA programs in accordance with the federal statutes that govern them. Under the settlement, AmeriCorps may not disrupt the current terms of service of NCCC or VISTA participants, except under specific, lawful circumstances detailed in the settlement.

The settlement pauses the litigation through February 1, 2027, at which point the coalition will voluntarily dismiss the case without prejudice, provided AmeriCorps has complied with its commitments. Should the coalition determine that AmeriCorps has not complied, it may move the court to lift the stay and resume litigation. The coalition also retains the right to challenge other unlawful conduct by AmeriCorps, whether through an amended complaint during the stay or a new action during or after the stay.

The coalition initiated the litigation in April 2025, after the Trump administration moved to eliminate nearly 90 percent of AmeriCorps' workforce, cancel its contracts, and close $400 million worth of AmeriCorps-supported programs. In June 2025, a federal court granted the coalition's motion for a preliminary injunction requiring the administration to reinstate programs that had been unlawfully canceled. Then in August 2025, following a further motion for preliminary injunction by the coalition, the federal Office of Management and Budget agreed to release more than $184 million in AmeriCorps funding it had withheld.

The settlement, co-led by the attorneys general of Maryland, California, Colorado, and Delaware, is joined by the attorneys general of Arizona, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Hawaiʻi, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin, and the governors of Kentucky and Pennsylvania.
Twitter: @AGWilliamTong Facebook: CT Attorney General

Media Contact:

Elizabeth Benton [email protected]

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