(Eastside Online)—On April 22, 12 Democratic-led states filed a lawsuit against President Donald Trump and his administration, doubting the legality of the ongoing tariffs. The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. Court of International Trade in New York, arguing that the tariffs are unlawful and have brought chaos to the American economy.
The lawsuit, initiated by New York Democratic Attorney General Letitia James, includes New York, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, and Vermont.
It challenges Trump’s claim that he could impose tariffs based on the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. This 1977 law enables a president to freeze and block transactions in response to “unusual and extraordinary” threats outside the United States. But some say this act was never intended to authorize trade policy on this scale, and according to the lawsuit, no president in 48 years since its enactment has used the IEEPA to impose tariffs.
The tariffs come from President Trump’s “Liberation Day” plan to roll out his new tariffs, which he announced would take place on April 2. This introduced a universal 10% tariff on imported goods. The administration imposed higher tariffs on Canada and Mexico, imposing a 25% tariff on imports and a shocking 145% tariff on Chinese goods. These actions have received major criticism from many who fear that the tariffs will disrupt the economy and that affected countries will retaliate against the U.S. Critics say that the tariffs have already begun to negatively impact the U.S economy.
“President Trump’s reckless tariffs have skyrocketed costs for consumers and unleashed economic chaos across the country,” said Democratic New York Governor Kathy Hochul, who is also suing Trump. “New York is standing up to fight back against the largest federal tax hike in American history. Attorney General James and I are partnering on this litigation on behalf of New York consumers, because we can’t let President Trump push our country into a recession.”
“The president does not have the power to raise taxes on a whim,” said New York Attorney General Letitia James. “His tariffs are unlawful and, if not stopped, they will lead to more inflation, unemployment, and economic damage.”
The Trump Administration has defended the tariffs under the IEEPA, saying it is justifiable because of national emergencies, including drug trafficking, illegal immigration, and unfair trade practices. But, Jeffrey Schwab, senior counsel at the Liberty Justice Center, said, “Our system is not set up so that one person in the system can have the power to impose taxes across the world economy. That’s not how our constitutional republic works.”
The multi-state lawsuit looks to put these tariffs to a stop, arguing that they violate the separation of powers and that only Congress has the power to impose tariffs. For now, the administration has put a temporary 90-day pause on most of the tariffs. The lawsuit could take months, or even years, to come to a decision, and the effects of the tariffs will undeniably be devastating for Americans.