The Kentucky Sentate gavel rests on the wooden sound block in the Kentucky Senate chambers before the first day of Concurrence began at the state Capitol in Frankfort, Ky. March 13, 2025.
San Diego, CA – The city of San Diego, alongside several municipalities and nonprofit organizations, has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration over its decision to freeze federal grant funding. The San Diego City Attorney’s Office warns that the funding freeze has already affected local programs, including a critical forestry initiative, and threatens the viability of other city projects.
The 86-page complaint, filed in federal court in South Carolina, names President Donald Trump and Department of Government Expenditures (DOGE) senior advisor Elon Musk, among others, as defendants. The lawsuit alleges that Trump’s executive orders halting the disbursement of congressionally approved funds are unlawful and jeopardize essential community programs.
One of the most immediate concerns for San Diego is the impact on the city’s Ready, Set, Grow San Diego program. The initiative, which was awarded a $10 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Urban and Community Forestry program, was designed to enhance the city’s green infrastructure by planting and maintaining trees in underserved neighborhoods, including Bay Terraces, City Heights, Encanto, Linda Vista, Oak Park, Otay Mesa-Nestor, and Paradise Hills. The program aims to mitigate extreme heat, improve stormwater absorption, reduce air pollution, and provide environmental benefits to vulnerable communities.
“Trees aren’t political — they shouldn’t be used in gamesmanship that hurts communities who have been promised environmental investments,” said San Diego City Attorney Heather Ferbert. “The freeze on these already committed federal funds puts critical community programs in jeopardy, impacting the health, safety, and quality of life for San Diegans.”
The lawsuit argues that Trump’s executive actions constitute an overreach of executive power by obstructing funding that was lawfully appropriated by Congress. Critics warn that this funding freeze could set a dangerous precedent, allowing future administrations to unilaterally withhold funds based on political considerations.
This lawsuit is not San Diego’s first legal battle with the Trump administration. The city has also joined litigation challenging the federal government’s decision to withhold grant funds from so-called sanctuary cities—jurisdictions that limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities. The City Attorney’s Office asserts that Trump’s withholding of these funds could significantly impact U.S. Department of Justice grants for law enforcement and public safety initiatives in San Diego.
With federal grants serving as a vital source of funding for city programs and infrastructure improvements, San Diego officials are pushing back against what they see as an unjustified and politically motivated attack on local initiatives. As the lawsuit moves forward, city leaders and advocacy groups hope the courts will intervene to restore access to the funds and ensure that critical programs remain operational.
