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Politics

Resistance state: Tracking California’s lawsuits against the new Trump administration

A split-screen political illustration divided into two contrasting colored sections. The left side, tinted in mint green, features a photo of Attorney General Rob Bonta in front of California's State Capitol building in Sacramento and the California Republic bear flag, with legal documents in the background. The right side, colored in golden yellow, shows a portrait of President Donald Trump against a backdrop of stacked papers. A central image of the scales of justice divides the two halves, symbolizing a legal or constitutional conflict. The artistic treatment uses duotone coloring and layered imagery to convey themes of justice, state authority, and legal proceedings.
Illustration by Gabriel Hongsdusit
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CalMatters

Round 2 of California vs. Trump is already underway.

President Donald Trump signed a flurry of executive orders moments after being inaugurated president, and many of them could directly affect California.

These orders include revoking licenses for offshore wind which may shut down proposals off the coast of Humboldt County and Morro Bay, a more aggressive targeting of undocumented immigrants living throughout the state and a strong embrace of fossil fuels which could impact air quality standards, the state’s electric vehicle mandate and funding for green initiatives.

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California officials used the courts to defend itself during Trump’s first administration, suing the federal government at least 123 times and winning two out of every three cases. The state’s Democratic leaders began preparing for new cases months before Trump took office by writing briefs and setting aside tens of millions of dollars for expected court fights.

Now, as Trump’s second term begins, the state is already filing lawsuits. We’re tracking these cases as they are filed below.

California vs. Trump 2025-Present

For a trip down memory lane, check out the previous version of this tracker covering the first Trump administration.

  • Source: Compiled from lawsuit filings and press releases
  • Credits: (Engineering) John Osborn D'Agostino, CalMatters; (Reporting/Contributions) Adam Ashton, Ana Ibarra, Cayla Mihalovich, CalMatters.

California sued Donald Trump 123 times during his first presidency. Trump lost about two-thirds of cases filed against his administration, but that doesn’t guarantee the same results this time around.