Here are Gov. Shapiro’s lawsuits against the Trump administration this year

This story originally appeared on WITF.

Gov. Josh Shapiro has locked arms with fellow Democrats nationwide in using the courts to push back on President Donald Trump’s agenda.

The potential 2028 presidential candidate has filed or joined more than a dozen lawsuits against the Trump administration, challenging the president’s efforts to reshape the federal government and slash previously allocated spending. The ones he’s joined have been championed by other Democratic officials.

Under Pennsylvania law, Republican Attorney General Dave Sunday is in charge of representing the commonwealth. But Shapiro can ask Sunday in writing to allow the governor’s Office of General Counsel to take over legal representation for the governor or other executive branch officials.

If Sunday declines Shapiro’s request — which he has not done this year, according to Shapiro’s office — the general counsel can intervene in the lawsuit to represent Shapiro and his interests as the state’s chief executive anyway.

Here is a timeline of Shapiro’s lawsuits, listed in order of filing date:

Federal funding freeze, Feb. 13

One of Trump’s first actions upon reentering the White House this year was to issue a sweeping executive order freezing the distribution of billions of dollars in federal grant money, including $2.1 billion allocated to Pennsylvania largely for environmental programs.

Shapiro then sued five federal agencies over those funds in Pennsylvania’s Eastern District Court. Since the funds were released, Shapiro has touted this case as demonstrative of his success in combating the Trump administration.

On Aug. 12, Shapiro’s office voluntarily dismissed the lawsuit “(b)ecause all previously-withheld funding at issue in this case is currently available” to Pennsylvania.

The case was Shapiro v. U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, No. 2:25-cv-00763.

Public health grants, April 1

Shapiro joined a multistate lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and its secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., for their cancellation of public health grants meant to assist states in combating infectious diseases. Those funds included $500 million for the Pennsylvania departments of Human Services, Health, and Drug and Alcohol Programs.

A Rhode Island federal judge ruled in May that Kennedy’s agency must release those funds, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit rejected Kennedy’s appeal in July. Defendants have until Oct. 28 to respond.

The case is State of Colorado et al. v. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, U.S. District Court, District of Rhode Island, No. 1:25-cv-00121.

Post-pandemic education funds, April 10

Sixteen states, including Pennsylvania (represented by Shapiro’s office), and Washington, D.C., sued the U.S. Department of Education and Secretary Linda McMahon over rescinded funding the agency provided to school districts after the COVID-19 pandemic was declared over.

The funding — of which $185 million was allocated to 116 Pennsylvania school districts to boost student mental health resources, support access to high-speed internet and fund HVAC installation — was reinstated by a New York federal judge in May.

The case is ongoing. In an Oct. 1 filing, Jay Clayton, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, said the parties “have made additional progress in reaching a consensual resolution but require additional time to finalize an agreement.”

The case is New York et al. v. U.S. Department of Education et al., U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 1:25-cv-02990.

AmeriCorps, April 29

Shapiro joined more than two dozen states in suing the Corporation for National and Community Service over its cancellation of AmeriCorps, which promotes volunteerism in nonprofits, schools, faith-based organizations and public agencies.

Pennsylvania was to receive more than $6 million to support its AmeriCorps workers, and a Maryland federal judge ruled in June that the federal agency had to return those rescinded funds to the state. The case is ongoing.

The case is State of Maryland et al. v. Corporation for National and Community Service, U.S. District Court, District of Maryland, Case No. 1:25-cv-01363.

Food purchasing program, June 4

Shapiro filed a lawsuit in the Middle District of Pennsylvania demanding that the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Secretary Brooke Rollins pay over $13 million in canceled federal funding to a program for farmers who sell products to food banks.

The case is ongoing, with Rollins’ attorneys fighting to have the lawsuit dismissed.

The case is Governor Josh Shapiro et al. v. U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. District Court, Middle District of Pennsylvania, Case No.1:25-cv-00998.

Broad grant cancellations, June 24

Shapiro joined 19 other states and Washington, D.C., in a wide-ranging lawsuit in the U.S. District of Massachusetts challenging Trump’s authority to cancel U.S. grant funding previously awarded, based on the federal administration’s argument that the grants “no longer (effectuate) the program goals or agency priorities.”

On Aug. 4, Judge Indira Talwani issued a partial summary judgment in the states’ favor, ruling the Trump administration could not cancel the grants. But on Sept. 11, Trump’s administration filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit. The case is ongoing.

U.S. Sen. John Fetterman weighed in on Sept. 18, joining twelve other senators in filing an amicus brief urging the court to rule against the Trump administration.

The case is State of New Jersey et al. v. U.S. Office of Management and Budget et al., U.S. District Court, District of Massachusetts, Case No. 1:25-cv-11816.

Education funds, July 14

The federal Education Department canceled roughly $230 million in federal funds the Shapiro administration said would assist Pennsylvania schools with buying student technology supplies, providing after-school activities and organizing family literacy programs.

Shapiro joined another highly publicized multistate lawsuit challenging the $6 billion decision in Rhode Island’s federal court. The federal agency last month said it would release $1.3 billion of those funds. The case was dismissed on Sept. 12.

The case is State of California et al. v. McMahon et al., U.S. District Court, District of Rhode Island, Case No. 1:25-cv-00329.

Natural disasters, July 16

Shapiro announced on social media last month that he joined an 18-state lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s cancellation of disaster mitigation funds, including $130 million intended for 47 projects in Pennsylvania.

On Aug. 5, Judge Richard Stearns ordered the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the defendant in the case, to not spend those dollars on any programs other than the disaster relief program it was intended to fund, until a final ruling in the case is made.

Citing the federal government shutdown, the agencies on Oct. 10 sought a pause in the case due to a lack of funding. On Oct. 14, Stearns denied the request. He ruled that resolving the issues are too important to delay

The case is State of Washington et al. v. Federal Emergency Management Agency et al., U.S. District Court, District of Massachusetts, Case No. 1:25-cv-12006.

Affordable Care Act changes, July 17

Shapiro and 20 states claim that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services illegally changed rules surrounding the Affordable Care Act’s state and federal health insurance marketplaces, including shortening enrollment periods and implementing a monthly $5 fee for patients.

The officials also challenged a rule barring transgender health care from the essential benefits requiring Affordable Care Act coverage.

The case is ongoing. It’s titled State of California, et al. v. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services et al., U.S. District Court, District of Massachusetts, Case No. 1:25-cv-12019.

Planned Parenthood, July 29

Trump’s tax and spending megabill from July included a provision that would bar Planned Parenthood, the country’s largest provider of abortions, and its members from accessing Medicaid funds. Shapiro and 22 other state officials say that blockade of funds is illegal because the language of the provision is written so narrowly that it targets Planned Parenthood.

The Democratic officials’ challenge came a day after Massachusetts U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani ruled to block the Trump administration’s barring of funds in a similar lawsuit filed by Planned Parenthood. Talwani is also overseeing Shaprio’s lawsuit.

On Oct. 8, Talwani denied the Trump administration’s request to pause court proceedings during the government shutdown.

The case is State of California et al. v. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services et al., U.S. District Court, District of Massachusetts, Case No. 1:25-cv-12118.

Gender-affirming care, Aug. 1

Shapiro and 16 other Democratic state officials sued Trump and his administration in Massachusetts over the president’s efforts to restrict gender-affirming care for people under the age of 19, arguing there is no federal law banning medical care for minors.

On Oct. 1, federal Judge Angel Kelley granted the Trump administration’s request to pause proceedings while the federal government is shut down.

The case is Commonwealth of Massachusetts et al. v. Trump et al., U.S. District Courts, District of Massachusetts, Case No. 1:25-cv-12162.

Electric vehicles, Aug. 1

The Trump administration froze some $5 billion to create a national network of electric vehicle charging stations just weeks into his second term in the White House. In May, several Democratic officials across the country filed suit attempting to unfreeze those funds.

In an amended complaint filed Aug. 1, Shapiro signed onto the lawsuit, which is ongoing.

It’s titled State of Washington et al. v. United States Department of Transportation et al., U.S. District Courts, Western District of Washington, Case No. 2:25-cv-00848.

DOE funding caps, Aug. 15

Shapiro joined 18 other states on Aug 15 in challenging the federal Department of Energy’s new policy prohibiting more than 10% of a State Energy Project initiative’s budget being spent on “indirect” and “fringe” costs, including staff salaries, health insurance and pensions.

On Oct. 9, Judge Mustafa Kasubhai denied the Trump administration’s request to pause the lawsuit during the government shutdown.

The case is State of New York v. United States Department of Energy, District of Oregon, Case No. 6:25-cv-01458.

SNAP data, Sept. 22

On Sept. 22, Shapiro joined a lawsuit over the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s request for information about Pennsylvanians who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, estimated at 2 million. The USDA attempted to halt SNAP payments to states that refused to turn over the data.

The case has largely been on hold since the federal government shut down on Oct. 1. On Oct. 15, Judge Maxine Chesney ruled in favor of the states and temporarily ordered the USDA to continue funding SNAP while the case is resolved.

The case is State of California v. United States Department of Agriculture, Northern District of California, case No. 3:25-cv-06310.

National Guard amicus briefs, October

Throughout October, Shapiro has joined two dozen Democrats in filing amicus briefs supporting Oregon (Oct. 8) and Illinois (Oct. 11) officials challenging Trump’s authority to deploy National Guard troops in their states.