A coalition of 22 state attorneys general and two governors, including Rhode Island Attorney General Peter F. Neronha, has filed a lawsuit to stop President Trump’s latest round of tariffs. The legal action seeks to block the administration from imposing new tariffs without congressional approval.
Attorney General Neronha criticized the administration’s approach, stating: “Like most everything this President does, his imposition of tariffs has been fraught with chaos, and Americans are literally paying the price. While I may not always agree with the Supreme Court’s decisions, they recently made clear, in no uncertain terms, that the President cannot unilaterally impose sweeping tariffs. As I’ve said many times before, the Trump Administration would do well to brush up on the Constitution, which grants Congress the power to levy taxes and regulate foreign commerce, not the President. Americans don’t want economic uncertainty, they want stability; something which is severely lacking in this Administration. Americans shouldn’t have to pay more on goods because of the erratic whims of one man, and we will fight to make sure they don’t.”
The coalition argues that for over a year President Trump has imposed tariffs without proper legal authority. Initially relying on the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), Trump claimed broad powers to set tariffs but was rebuffed by a recent Supreme Court decision declaring such actions unlawful.
After losing in court on IEEPA grounds two weeks ago, President Trump turned to Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974—a law never previously used for this purpose—to announce 15 percent tariffs on most global imports. The coalition contends that Section 122 only permits tariffs under specific conditions related to “large and serious balance-of-payments deficits,” which is distinct from trade deficits cited by Trump.
Research from economists at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York found that nearly 90 percent of tariff costs in 2025 were borne by American consumers and businesses.
The lawsuit was filed in the United States Court of International Trade. It claims that these new tariff measures violate federal law, disrupt constitutional separation of powers between branches of government, and breach requirements under the Administrative Procedure Act.
Other states joining Rhode Island include Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Vermont, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear also joined as plaintiffs.
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