In a recent push for fair housing, Attorney General Kwame Raoul, alongside a coalition of 21 attorneys general, filed an amicus brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit. Their collective aim is to overturn a decision that would allow the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to cut off grant funding to fair housing organizations—a move that Raoul and his peers see as a flagrant violation of federal law. "The legacy of discrimination and segregation in housing continues to negatively affect the overall health of communities and limits the potential of neighborhoods throughout the United States," said Raoul, staunchly opposing what they view as the Trump administration’s unlawful action, as per a statement from the Illinois Attorney General's Office.
The controversy started when HUD decided, in February 2025, to revoke 78 grants previously awarded to fair housing groups operating in 33 states. This abrupt cancellation was met with no prior notice, despite HUD’s statutory obligation to provide said funding. A lawsuit ensued, resulting in a temporary restraining order issued by the U.S. District Court for Massachusetts on March 26 to reinstate those grants. However, HUD persuaded the court to dissolve the order on April 14 after a Supreme Court interim ruling in a different case, which seemingly opened the door to immediately halt the funding once more. The groups have since decided to quickly appeal that decision, the Illinois Attorney General's Office reported.
Rooted in a historic understanding of housing discrimination's deleterious effects, the attorneys general, including Raoul, argue that the temporary restraining order should be reinstated because the plaintiffs have a strong likelihood of winning their case. They contend that cutting the funding will derail critical efforts by housing organizations to detect and combat rampant housing discrimination—a setback that would hurt states and citizens alike. "If allowed to take effect, HUD’s sudden revocation of funding will upend the important work of housing organizations, resulting in more housing discrimination being left undetected and unaddressed," Raoul argues, as stated by the Illinois Attorney General's news release.
