Delaware co-leads group of states suing Trump Administration to save AmeriCorps

DELAWARE – Attorney General Kathy Jennings announced on Tuesday that Delaware is co-leading a group of 24 states and the District of Columbia in a lawsuit to save AmeriCorps.

The lawsuit came after the Trump Administration moved to effectively incapacitate the agency by reducing the AmeriCorps workforce by nearly 90%. The independent federal agency engages the nation in meaningful community service that directly addresses the country’s educational, public safety, and environmental needs and provides service opportunities to over 200,000 Americans annually.

Several state officials spoke out about the lawsuit, including AG Jennings, Governor Matt Meyer, and Senator Chris Coons.

“It’s getting harder by the day to see anything but cruelty motivating the Trump Administration’” said Attorney General Jennings. “There is no debate here. These grants make a life-changing difference in kids’ futures, and they cost a fraction of a penny to Delaware taxpayers. No serious adult believes that teaching kids to read hurts America. These cuts are senseless, destructive, and illegal. We’re not letting this happen.”

“AmeriCorps taught me that leadership is about service, not status, and the Trump Administration’s assault on Delaware’s programs is as un-American as it is immoral,” said Governor Matt Meyer. “AmeriCorps members don’t ask for praise or profit — they ask for the chance to serve their communities with dignity and purpose. I fully support this lawsuit and Attorney General Jennings because defending AmeriCorps means defending the values that make our nation strong: community, compassion, and the belief that service to others is the highest calling.”

“Communities up and down Delaware and around the country depend on AmeriCorps members who serve on the front lines of natural disasters, in overcrowded classrooms, and at veterans’ resource centers,” said Senator Chris Coons, co-Chair of the Senate National Service Caucus. “The Trump administration’s illegal actions are ripping away help from cities and towns that need it. I’m fighting back in Congress urging the administration to reverse its reckless actions, and I’m proud that Attorney General Jennings is leading the fight to defend AmeriCorps in the courts.”

Delaware is the lead state on the lawsuit, along with Maryland, California, and Colorado. The Attorneys General of Arizona, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia, along with the governors of Kentucky and Pennsylvania.