Attorney General Dan Rayfield Sues Trump Administration to Stop Latest Round of Illegal Tariffs

Attorney General Dan Rayfield led a coalition of 23 other states in filing a lawsuit to block President Trump's latest efforts to impose illegal tariffs on American consumers and businesses. The case challenges President Trump's most recent attempt to increase tariffs worldwide without congressional approval.

"The focus right now should be on paying people back, not doubling down on illegal tariffs," said Attorney General Rayfield. "People are already making hard choices about what to put in their shopping cart. Prices on basics like groceries, clothing and other essentials have all been skyrocketing. At some point, the bills become unmanageable."

For more than a year, President Trump has inflicted chaos on the American economy by imposing tariffs without the legal authority to do so. Initially, the President claimed that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) allowed him to impose tariffs of any amount, on any product, from any country, for any length of time. Two weeks ago, the Supreme Court rejected that argument, concluding that the IEEPA tariffs were unlawful.

Rather than accepting that loss in court, President Trump immediately turned to a separate law that has never been used before-Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974-and announced 15 percent tariffs on most products worldwide, seemingly to address trade deficits. But Section 122 does not apply. That law authorizes tariffs in limited circumstances, including when there are "large and serious balance-of-payments deficits." Notably, a trade deficit is not a balance-of-payment deficit, meaning that once again the President is acting unlawfully.

A recent analysis » by researchers at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York concluded that nearly 90 percent of the costs of tariffs in 2025 were paid by American consumers and businesses. By imposing another round of price increases on American consumers and businesses, President Trump is doubling down on failed economic policies.

Experts also estimate that in Oregon », the tariffs will raise the cost of living for the average family by more than $1200 a year. This essentially imposes a sales tax on citizens of the state, something that Oregonians have voted down for years.

In 2025, Oregon companies imported more than $28 billion in parts and products ». Small businesses in Oregon rely on imports, and stability in trade policy is crucial for these businesses to survive. When prices go up for the businesses, those costs are passed down to consumers.

"Tariffs create real and immediate pressure for small manufacturers like ours," said George Domurot, founder and CEO of Ranger Chocolate. "Many of the core ingredients we rely on - including cacao - simply cannot be grown in the United States. When trade policy becomes unpredictable, it directly impacts our cost structure, pricing stability, and long-term planning."

Today's lawsuit challenges this latest round of tariffs. The complaint contends that these actions by President Trump and his administration violate the law, upend constitutional separation of powers, and violate the Administrative Procedure Act.

The case is entitled State of Oregon, et al., v. Trump, et al. and will be filed today in the U.S. Court of International Trade.

The case is led by Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield, Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, California Attorney General Rob Bonta, and New York Attorney General Letitia James. Also joining the lawsuit are the attorneys general of Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and the Governors of Kentucky and Pennsylvania.