Attorney General Kris Mayes speaking with attendees on the floor of the Arizona House of Representatives on opening day of the 57th legislature in Phoenix, Arizona. January 13, 2025
Update One day after announcing the funding freeze, the White House Office of Management and Budget has rescinded it.
Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes joined other attorneys general, to sue the Trump administration over a freeze that could withhold as much as $3 trillion in federal grants, loans and aid.
Arizona joins 22 other states in taking legal action.
Mayes’ announcement came in response to Monday’s directive from the Office of Management and Budget, which was set to go into effect by five o’clock Tuesday evening.
During a press conference Tuesday, Mayes said the state has also sought a temporary restraining order to block the freeze.
“Many states like Arizona will be faced with the possibility of immediate cash shortfalls,” Mayes said, noting that the freeze would impact public safety, health care services, and school lunch programs.
Arizona’s AG called the orders “lawless” and “chaotic” attempts to steal allocated dollars already factored into state budgets.
“These funds ensure that the residents of Arizona and all other states have access to quality healthcare, law enforcement, protection, safe roads, and assistance in the aftermath of natural disasters,” Mayes said. “Without these dollars, states like Arizona will be unable to pay public safety employees, cops on the street, satisfy concrete contractual obligations, and carry on the important business of the government.”
The freeze defunds the Arizona High-Intensity Drug Tracking Area (HIDTA) program, which supports collaborative drug enforcement efforts between law enforcement agencies and community organizations.
The state has 27 initiatives focused on dismantling Mexican drug cartels.
As part of his first round of executive actions, President Trump moved to designate drug cartels as terrorist organizations and declared a national emergency at the southern border, allowing for the deployment of armed forces and the National Guard.
“He is defunding our efforts to bring those drug cartels down,” Mayes said. “That is outrageous.”
HIDTA funding supports 704 full-time law enforcement officers and 33 part-time law enforcement officers in Arizona.
Additionally, 200 public safety programs under the Arizona Department of Public Safety could also be impacted, weakening law enforcement, fire service, emergency management and public safety across “just about every sector” Mayes said.
On Tuesday morning, the Department of Economic Safety was locked out of its federal portal.
The department serves more than 460,000 Arizona households through SNAP benefits, provides school meals for nearly 1 million children, and supports childcare and preschool programs for more than 15,000 low-income children and 13,000 families.
“Tommy Sheridan, the deputy director of the National Head Start Association said he was told by several programs that they will have to shut their doors if the funding isn’t made available in the coming days,” Mayes said.
Arizona households relying on Section 8 housing assistance could be affected just days before the first of the month when rent payments are due and 630,000 Arizona families who qualify for federal utility assistance under the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) could also be impacted.
17 critical access hospitals and 55 rural health clinics in Arizona would shutter without federal funding, emergency medical responders, and critical care paramedic programs at seven rural EMS agencies in Arizona would also be affected.
“2 million Arizonans will lose their health coverage through Medicaid pursuant to this action by Donald Trump,” Mayes said.
Additionally, 10,000 Arizonans who rely on the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program (RWHAP) for treatment would be unable to access care.
Mayes said that because DES was unable to draw down federally allocated funding from the payment management system, which holds funds from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Labor, about $200 million was inaccessible.
Veterans are also at risk.
About 240 Arizonans rely on state health care services and more than 10,000 veterans could lose access to higher education benefits through the GI Bill.
“I am absolutely appalled, appalled as the top legal officer of the state of Arizona, the top law enforcement officer of the state of Arizona at this action,” Mayes said, before asking why Arizona Republican lawmakers weren’t standing up for law enforcement or the people of Arizona.
“MAGA policy is on the verge of becoming reality and it will devastate this state,” she added.
Governor Katie Hobbs has submitted a letter to Arizona’s Congressional Delegation, requesting action to demand clarity from the administration.
Hobbs stated that Trump’s actions have jeopardized billions of dollars in funding for the state’s health care system, public safety, veteran services, and support for vulnerable families.
Meanwhile, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne said the freeze would not affect funding for Title I schools, special education funding, or other formula grants.
Horne has directed his department to draw down the necessary funds during the two-week period covered by the federal pause.
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