Case Summary
Democracy Maine, which is comprised of three nonpartisan, nonprofit organizations—the League of Women Voters of Maine Education Fund, Maine Students Vote, and Maine Citizens for Clean Elections—filed a federal lawsuit in the United States District Court of the District of Maryland, challenging the unilateral termination of AmeriCorps grants and programs.
In mid-April 2025, the executive branch began dismantling the nation’s flagship civil service agency, the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), which operates AmeriCorps. AmeriCorps, often referred to as the “Domestic Peace Corps,” has served hundreds of communities across all fifty states, U.S. territories, and Washington, DC. Programs and service members provide a range of crucial projects and opportunities to vulnerable communities, including land conversation, after-school care, expanding access to education, medical care to seniors, and countless other services.
Between the end of April and the start of May, the administration terminated programs and service projects, canceled funding, and laid off employees and participants. As of May 5, 2025, grants totaling almost $400 million dollars were cut and over 1,000 entities across the country have lost essential funding, impacting millions of Americans.
The plaintiffs include nonprofit organizations across the nation that receive grants and/or subgrants to place AmeriCorps service participants in service projects and build community capacity, individual AmeriCorps participants who were abruptly terminated, and the AmeriCorps Employee Union. Democracy Maine is one of the nonprofit organizations that lost an AmeriCorps grant. It is a 501(c)(3) organization comprised of the League of Women Voters of Maine Education Fund, Maine Students Vote, and Maine Citizens for Clean Elections.
On May 5, 2025, plaintiffs filed suit in the United States District Court for the District of Maryland against CNCS, the Interim Agency Head of AmeriCorps, and the DOGE Team Lead for AmeriCorps. The complaint asserted the termination of programs, layoffs, and funding cancellations violated numerous violations of the Administrative Procedure Act violated the constitution, and exceeded statutory authority.
The plaintiffs asked the court to stop the defendants from carrying out its destruction of AmeriCorps and order them to restore all AmeriCorps grants, programs, service participants, and staff to their April 14, 2025, status.
Democracy Maine is represented by Democracy Defenders Fund, Democracy Forward Foundation, and Lowell & Associates, PLLC.
LWV Timeline
Democracy Maine files suit in federal court
Democracy Maine files a complaint with a nationwide coalition of nonprofits to challenge the dismantling of AmeriCorps.
Plaintiffs file a motion for a preliminary injunction in federal court
Plaintiffs file a preliminary injunction motion to stop the administration's dismantling of AmeriCorps, asserting it violates the Administrative Procedure Act, separation of powers, and the Appointments Clause.
District court issues order granting preliminary injunction
The district court grants a preliminary injunction, ordering the administration to restore AmeriCorps funding. The ruling declares the plaintiffs were likely to succeed that the defunding was illegal and arbitrary and capricious under the Administrative Procedure Act.
Plaintiffs file an amended complaint
The plaintiffs file an amended complaint challenging the Trump Administration's ongoing efforts to prevent AmeriCorps' work. The bolstered action includes the addition of various plaintiff organizations impacted by the continued withholding of funds and the Office of Management and Budget as a defendant.