The City of Seattle has taken legal action against the Trump administration, alleging that a recent wave of executive orders targeting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives amounts to federal overreach and threatens hundreds of millions of dollars in essential federal funding.
The lawsuit, filed this week by City Attorney Ann Davison, claims that the executive directives—part of a broader effort by the former president to roll back DEI programs across federal agencies and grant recipients—are unconstitutional and in violation of long-standing principles of local governance. At stake is roughly $370 million in federal funding that supports a wide range of city services, from public health and housing to transportation and workforce development.
Speaking at a press conference at City Hall on Wednesday, Davison framed the legal challenge as a defense of Seattle’s right to set its own priorities without being coerced by political mandates from Washington, D.C.
“We are here to make sure that the values and priorities of Seattle remain in the hands of Seattle,” she said. “The federal government cannot hold our funding hostage because it disagrees with how we choose to serve our residents.”
The legal complaint points to a flurry of 143 executive orders issued within the first 100 days of Trump’s return to office—several of which direct federal agencies to withhold funding from local jurisdictions that maintain DEI programs or require DEI training. City officials argue that these actions sidestep Congress, violate the separation of powers, and are designed to intimidate municipalities into abandoning programs designed to address racial and social disparities.
Davison emphasized that while executive orders are a common tool of presidential governance, they do not carry the weight of law unless supported by legislative authority.
“Even a president—whether named Trump or not—cannot rewrite the law with the stroke of a pen,” she said. “These orders are not only unlawful, they are harmful to the people and communities we serve.”
This isn’t Seattle’s first legal confrontation with Trump-era policies. Davison noted that the city has previously prevailed in lawsuits involving counterterrorism grant access and immigration-related executive actions, asserting that the courts have consistently upheld Seattle’s right to operate its programs without political interference from the executive branch.
In this latest case, Seattle is asking the court for declaratory and injunctive relief, seeking to block the federal government from enforcing the contested orders and to clarify that cities retain the authority to shape inclusive policies that reflect local values.
