Minnesota joins lawsuit on federal education program funding

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison on Monday joined a coalition of 23 attorneys general and two states in suing the Trump Administration over what he says is its "unconstitutional, unlawful and arbitrary decision" to freeze funding for six long-standing programs administered by the U.S. Department of Education less than two months before the start of the school year in many parts of Minnesota is set to start.

More than $70 million in funding for Minnesota is believed to be frozen by the Trump Administration, according to a press release. It adds that, without this funding, many educational programs will shutter – already, ongoing summer learning programs have been left unfunded.

The attorneys general argue that the funding freeze violates the federal funding statutes and regulations authorizing these critical programs and appropriating funds for them, violates federal statutes governing the federal budgeting process, including the Antideficiency Act and Impoundment Control Act, and violates the constitutional separation of powers doctrine and the Presentment Clause. They ask the court to order the release of these critical education funds.