Attorney General Neronha, coalition secure preliminary injunction preserving access to key social services
Published on Thursday, September 11, 2025
Attorney General Peter F. Neronha today issued the following statement after securing a preliminary injunction blocking the Trump administration’s attempt to gut essential health, education, and social service programs for low-income families.
“Securing this preliminary injunction means that federal funding will continue to flow to Rhode Island organizations which support critical social services for our residents,” said Attorney General Neronha. “In this case, by attempting to change the rules with no notice, the Trump Administration forced agencies and organizations including Head Start, food banks, and other critical service providers, to quickly pivot or risk shuttering. This erratic, chaotic approach to governing is harming Americans from all walks of life every day. The good news: we are having broad success in our legal challenges. Since January 20, my Office has recovered no less than $650 million that this Administration has attempted to strip away from Rhode Islanders for health care, emergency preparedness, infrastructure, and more. We will continue to fight, and win, for the people of our states.”
In July, Attorney General Neronha joined 20 other attorneys general in challenging the federal government’s reinterpretation of a decades-old law governing access to social services. Yesterday, federal court in Rhode Island granted the coalition’s request for a preliminary injunction, blocking sweeping new rules that threatened to strip funding from programs like Head Start, Title X family planning clinics, food banks, domestic violence shelters, adult education, and community health centers.
Leadership at Rhode Island’s Department of Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities & Hospitals (BHDDH) attested that the new restrictions could impact “tens of millions” of dollars which fund a number of programs related to opioid treatment, homeless services, and mental health programs in all Rhode Island public schools. Further, BHDDH contended that any funding changes to those programs could temporarily or permanently end those services, potentially causing a health care crisis statewide as service recipients flood emergency rooms or hospital-based mental health treatment.
Attorney General Neronha co-led this lawsuit with New York Attorney General Letitia James and Washington Attorney General Nick Brown. Joining them are the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawai’i, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Vermont, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia.
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