FILE-A sign is displayed at the entrance to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) headquarters at the Hubert H. Humphrey Building on June 2, 2025 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Kevin Carter/Getty Images),
Civil rights groups filed a lawsuit against the Department of Health and Human Services over the federal government’s attempt to limit child care and family assistance funding.
In the lawsuit obtained by Reuters, the American Civil Liberties Union, the National Women's Law Center and the National Center for Law and Economic Justice stated that they sought correspondence between federal officials and pro-Trump right-wing online influencer Nick Shirley.
Health and Human Services sued by civil rights groups
Dig deeper:
In 2025, Nick Shirley posted a video that was publicly expanded and credited by senior Trump administration officials as the basis for the attempted funding restrictions.
According to Reuters, the video alleged that some childcare centers in Minnesota were fraudulent. News reports later said the accusations were misleading.
RELATED: Trump administration freezing $10 billion in child care funds in five states
In early July, Health and Human Services rescinded the $10 billion freeze on child care subsidies and social services funding in California, Illinois, Colorado, New York and Minnesota.
A federal judge blocked the federal government from freezing the funds for the length of a lawsuit against the freeze brought by the five states.
Earlier this year, President Donald Trump ordered an aggressive immigration crackdown in Minnesota and accused the Somali communities in the state of taking part in fraud.
The Source: Information for this story was provided by Reuters, which cites the lawsuit against Health and Human Services. This story was reported from Washington, D.C.