PHOENIX — Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes secured a legal victory Thursday that blocks the Trump administration’s effort to dismantle AmeriCorps, the federal agency supporting national service and volunteer programs.
The U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland granted a preliminary injunction halting the administration’s plan to eliminate nearly 90% of AmeriCorps’ workforce, cancel contracts, and close $400 million worth of service programs. The order restores previously terminated programs in 24 states and reinstates more than 750 National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) members.
“AmeriCorps represents the best of public service in this country—from tutoring students in rural and low-income communities to helping seniors stay in their homes,” Mayes said in a statement. “The Trump administration’s reckless attempt to dismantle it was not just wrong, it was unlawful.”
Arizona programs receiving immediate relief from the court’s ruling include Northern Arizona University’s Teacher Residency Program, the Area Agency on Aging’s Caring Circles initiative, and tutoring programs for underserved students.
Mayes joined a coalition of 23 other attorneys general and the governors of Kentucky and Pennsylvania in filing the lawsuit on April 29. The coalition argued that the Trump administration violated federal law by shuttering AmeriCorps programs without providing proper notice or opportunity for public comment, as required by Congress.
The federal judge agreed, finding the administration’s abrupt closures harmed states and vulnerable populations that rely on national service programs. The injunction prevents further terminations while the broader legal challenge continues.
Alongside Arizona, states participating in the lawsuit include California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin.