WASHINGTON D.C. – A broad coalition of AmeriCorps grantees, service members, and the AmeriCorps Employees Union AFSCME Local 2027 have expanded their existing lawsuit against the Trump administration, challenging its attempts to dismantle AmeriCorps, the nation’s flagship civil service agency. 

Despite last month’s preliminary injunction by a federal judge in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland halting the efforts to dismantle AmeriCorps operations and the administration’s recent stipulation that all programs and grants terminated earlier this year have been reinstated and restored, the administration’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is continuing the attack on the agency by withholding hundreds of millions of dollars in funding.  

The amended action, which challenges the administration’s ongoing efforts to kneecap AmeriCorps’ critical work, adds OMB as a defendant, brings on additional plaintiff organizations impacted by the withholding of funds, seeks to represent a class of grantees in 26 states whose grants are being withheld by OMB, and raises additional claims. 

Plaintiffs, represented by Democracy Defenders Fund, Democracy Forward, and Lowell & Associates, include AmeriCorps Employees Union AFSCME Local 2027, Aspire Afterschool, Bur Oak Land Trust, Democracy Maine, Evelyn Rubenstein Jewish Community Center, Elev8 Baltimore, HandsOn Suburban Chicago, Housing and Community Development Network of New Jersey, Michigan College Access Network, National College Attainment Network, North Carolina Housing Coalition, Partners for Campus-Community Engagement, Rainbow Labs, Red Cloud Indian School, Seed Coalition, The Corps Network, and The Service Collaborative of WNY.

“As the Trump-Vance administration’s relentless assault on the American people and values that are core to our democracy continues, we are honored to work with AmeriCorps grantees, service members, and AFSCME Local 2027 to fight back against the administration’s lawlessness,” said Skye Perryman, President and CEO of Democracy Forward. “Our team celebrated a big win last week in securing protections for current AmeriCorps programs and funding for this year, but our work continues to defend it for future years. AmeriCorps has a proven track record of supporting and improving communities across our nation, and we will not allow the Trump-Vance administration to gut America’s premier national service agency.”

“This administration’s continued efforts to kneecap the vital work of AmeriCorps aren’t just illegal. They’re an attack on one of the most fundamental American ideas: that we Americans help each other,” said Norm Eisen, executive chair of the Democracy Defenders Fund. “With this amended complaint, we look forward to building on last month’s order that such funding be restored to ensure the vital services these organizations provide can continue.”

“The Trump administration’s illegal refusal to fund these crucial community services is the latest chapter in its persistent disregard for the law,” said Abbe Lowell, founding member at Lowell & Associates. “A federal court has already said these actions are ‘likely unlawful’ – we know they are, and are ready to prove it for these organizations and for every future target of this administration’s attack on our democracy.”

You can read the full amended complaint here. 

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Democracy Defenders Fund brings together a nonpartisan team to work with national, state and local allies across the country to defend in real-time the foundations of our democracy.

Democracy Forward Foundation is a national legal organization that advances democracy and social progress through litigation, policy, public education, and regulatory engagement. For more information, please visit www.democracyforward.org. 

Lowell & Associates, PLLC provides strategic and principled legal representation across civil, criminal, compliance, congressional and regulatory matters. The firm brings a deep understanding of both the law and the broader context in which our clients operate, serving individuals, businesses and institutions that value experienced counsel and effective advocacy in today’s legal environment.