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President Donald Trump Tripne tariffs face a major legal challenge from New York and 11 other countries, which claim that the president exceeded his authority and brought in the US economy in danger of imposing them without the approval of the congress.
Filed in the US Court International trade, The lawsuit challenges Trump’s use of urgent powers under the International Law on Emergency Economic Force (IEEPHA) to impose broad tariffs to import from countries around the world.
“Once again, Democrats such as Letitia James are prioritized by witch hunting against President Trump for the protection of the safety and well -being of his voters,” a spokesman for the Kush Desai White House wrote solely for Fox News Digital. “Trump’s administration is still dedicated to the use of its full legal authority to deal with the various national emergencies that our state currently faces – and the whip of illegal migration and the flow of fentania across our border and exploding the annual deficit of the American trade of goods.”
12 The state, however, claims that the Constitution gives the Congress, not the President, the powers of tax imposing and tariffs, and that IEEPA has never been intended for the authority of a trade policy on this scale.
Twelve states sue Trump’s administration for tariffs. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images)
“The reckless tariff of President Trump has increased the costs for consumers and released economic chaos across the country,” said Vlado Kathy Hochul. “New York advocates the fight against the biggest federal increase in US history. The Chief Lawyer James and I partnership in this litigation proceedings on behalf of the New York consumer, because we cannot allow President Trump to push our country into a recession.”
“The president has no authority to increase the tax on the whim,” said New York’s Chief Lawyer Letitia James. “His tariffs are illegal and, if they are not stopped, they will lead to greater inflation, unemployment and economic damage.”
Since February 2025. Trump has signed several executive orders that impose new tariffs of Canada, Mexico, China and almost all other American trade partners.
The administration quoted national emergency cases as a basis for tariffs including drug trade, illegal immigrationand unjust trade practices. States in litigation claim that the justifications of the president are unclear and legally insufficient.
IEEPA, adopted in 1977, allows presidents to respond to specific international threats, such as terrorism or hostile foreign actors. But according to the lawsuit, no president in 48 years since his passage has not used it to impose tariffs.
The appeal claims that the new tariffs were imposed without the approval of the congress or the necessary legal findings to justify the care of trade actions.
The lawsuit also claims that the tariffs are not related to any special “unusual and extraordinary” threat, as required under the way, which Trump’s administration cited as its power. States claim that tariffs will significantly increase consumer prices, encourage inflation, lead to loss of jobs and create a wide economic instability.
President Donald Trump speaks during an event to announce new tariffs in Rose garden in the White House, Wednesday, April 2, 2025, in Washington, as the Washington’s secretary of the Howard Lutnick store serves. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
A legal challenge is not just Focus on the economy. He claims that the tariffs are unconstitutional because they usurp of the congress authority due to taxes and trade. The lawsuit also claims that the policy of changing the administration – which they claim to have often changed with executive commands or social media – created chaos on trade and financial markets.
Trump administration supporters say the tariffs are a brave move to protect the US industry and correct long -standing trade imbalances.
At a press conference in February 2025, President Trump said: “We took hundreds of billions of dollars [with past tariffs]… Our country will knock down, “framing the measures as a continuation of his American first economic agenda.
But the lawsuit paints a different picture of legal excessive and lack of transparency. He claims that if he is allowed to fit the proceedings of President Trump, any future president could impose a tax under the emergency label, completely bypassing Congress.
President Donald Trump speaks during the event of the announcement of the “Make American American American” store in Rose’s garden at the White House on April 2, 2025. In Washington, DC. (Andrew Hardik/Getty Images)
Government Hochul and Lawyer James, both vocal critics of Trump’s administration, have often clashed with the president for a series of questions, from immigration to environmental policy. This latest lawsuit signifies another great conflict.
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In addition to New York, Chief Lawyers from Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon and Vermont joined the case.
The coalition asks the court to block the further implementation of the tariff and proclaim the command to the invalid and under the Constitution and under the Federal Law.
