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Department of Agriculture building. Deposit Photos
Department of Agriculture building. Deposit Photos
Colorado joins lawsuit over USDA funding conditions
ColoradoBiz Staff //March 24, 2026//
DENVER — Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser joined a coalition of 21 attorneys general in suing the Trump administration over new conditions placed on U.S. Department of Agriculture funding.
In Brief:
- Colorado joined 21 states suing over USDA funding conditions
- States say rules tie funding to immigration and DEI policies
- Lawsuit seeks to block conditions on SNAP, WIC and school meals
- Colorado received $322M in nutrition funds and $1.3B in SNAP aid
The lawsuit alleges that the USDA imposed conditions tied to immigration, diversity, equity, and inclusion, and gender identity that are unrelated to the funding’s purpose. States say the agency has threatened penalties for noncompliance.
The suit asks a court to block the conditions on programs, including the school lunch program, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, known as WIC, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, the Emergency Food Assistance Program, and the Volunteer Fire Capacity Program.
“Secretary Rollins is attempting to impose on the states vague and coercive funding conditions that have nothing to do with these programs,” Weiser said. “Billions of dollars in critical funding are at stake and that is why we are in court again.”
The USDA adopted the conditions effective Dec. 31, 2025, requiring states to comply with policies related to gender identity, diversity and immigration. The lawsuit says the agency does not clearly define which policies apply.
According to the lawsuit, Colorado received more than $322 million in federal funds for child nutrition programs in 2025 and $1.3 billion in SNAP funding in 2024.
The states allege the administration violated the Spending Clause and the Administrative Procedure Act and are asking the court to block enforcement of the conditions.
Attorneys general from California, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawai‘i, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin joined the lawsuit.
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