AmeriCorps cuts prompt two dozen states to sue Trump administration
[April 30, 2025]
By HANNAH FINGERHUT
About two dozen states sued the Trump administration Tuesday over the
dismantling of AmeriCorps, the 30-year-old federal agency for volunteer
service, and over the cancellation of hundreds of millions of dollars in
grant funding for state and community projects across the U.S.
The federal lawsuit was filed against the agency and its interim head by
Democratic state officials. It alleges that President Donald Trump's
cost-cutting efforts through the Department of Government Efficiency
illegally gutted the agency created by Congress and reneged on grants
funded through the AmeriCorps State and National program, which was
budgeted $557 million in congressionally approved funding this year.
The agency oversees a number of programs that dispatch hundreds of
millions of dollars and tens of thousands of people to serve in
communities across the country.
“In an attempt to dismantle the agency, the Trump administration and its
DOGE demolition team made abrupt and drastic cuts to staff and
volunteers and terminated grants,” said Colorado Attorney General Phil
Weiser in a statement. “We are suing to stop this illegal dismantling of
AmeriCorps and preserve the spirit of community service in our state and
nation.”
At least 85% of AmeriCorps staff were put on administrative leave this
month, according to the complaint, with at least some notified last week
that they would be let go because of a reduction in force.
The White House on Tuesday pointed to improper payments reported by
AmeriCorps, totaling over $40 million in 2024 and attributed to
insufficient documentation from grantees, calculation errors and
miscoded expenses.
"President Trump has the legal right to restore accountability to the
entire Executive Branch,” Anna Kelly, White House deputy press
secretary, said in an email.
AmeriCorps employs more than 500 full-time federal workers and has an
operating budget of roughly $1 billion.
In addition, it sends roughly 200,000 corps members across the country
as part of its service programs. Most corps members get a living stipend
during their service and become eligible for funding for future
education expenses or to apply for certain student loans.
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As President Barack Obama and former President Bill Clinton mark the
20th anniversary of the AmeriCorps national service program,
hundreds of new volunteers are sworn in for duty at a ceremony,
Friday, Sept. 12, 2014, on the South Lawn of the White House in
Washington. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)
A specific program, AmeriCorps’ National Civilian Community Corps,
also covers basic expenses and housing for some 2,000 young people
participating in a roughly 10-month service term. Those corps
members, who work with community organizations and respond to
natural disasters, were informed earlier this month they would be
dismissed early.
As part of the AmeriCorps State and National grant program, state
volunteer commissions distributed more than $177 million in
formula-based distributions, as well as $370 million in competitive
grants that supported nearly 35,000 corps members serving at 300
organizations, according to announcements in May.
Notices of grants being terminated were sent late Friday, explaining
“the award no longer effectuates agency priorities” and directing
grantees to immediately shut down the projects, according to a copy
reviewed by The Associated Press.
Corps members would no longer be participating in the program and
would no longer receive a stipend.
Hundreds of millions of dollars in grants to each of the 52 state
and territory volunteer commissions were impacted, according to
Rachel Bruns, chief engagement officer with America’s Service
Commissions. That includes Washington, Puerto Rico and Guam; South
Dakota does not have a state volunteer commission.
Bruns said commissions in Wisconsin, Alabama, Wyoming, Oregon and
Maine have reported that their entire portfolios for that grant
program have been cut.
There was no “rhyme or reason” given to the grantees that were
affected, Bruns said, noting that there are cases of one
organization seeing their funding cut in one state but not another.
The cuts affect projects like after-school programs, services for
veterans, food pantries, efforts to prevent child abuse and home
builds.
“We don’t know what this means for these services in some of these
communities that were impacted,” Bruns said.
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