Attorney General James Wins Court Order Protecting Food Security and Agricultural Funding

June 5, 2026

NEW YORK - New York Attorney General Letitia James today released the following statement after a federal judge blocked the Trump administration from imposing vague, sweeping new conditions on U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) funding:

"For the sixth time, a federal court has stopped this administration from holding our federal funding hostage to force states into submission. These unlawful conditions would have threatened food for families and critical support for farmers across New York.

"Eventually, the administration will have to accept that it cannot use federal funding as a weapon to coerce states into surrendering their rights. Until then, my office will keep fighting to protect New Yorkers and stop the federal government from punishing our state for refusing to bend."

On March 23, Attorney General James and 20 other attorneys general filed a lawsuit challenging USDA's new grant conditions, which required states to certify compliance with broad, undefined federal "policies" related to "gender ideology," immigration, "fair athletic opportunities," and other political priorities in order to receive funding. If states refused to certify compliance, they risked losing billions of dollars in USDA funding.

Today, the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts granted the coalition's motion for a preliminary injunction, temporarily blocking the administration from imposing these unlawful conditions and protecting more than $9.7 billion in USDA funding for New York.

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