Attorney General Ellison prevents $184 million cut to AmeriCorps service programs

August 29, 2025 (SAINT PAUL) — Attorney General Ellison today announced that he prevailed in preserving funding for AmeriCorps, the federal agency for national service and volunteerism. The White House Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) agreed to release over $184 million in funding AmeriCorps plans to award to service programs across the country. OMB’s attempted cuts threatened the survival of those programs and the well-being of those who depend on them. 

On July 23, Attorney General Ellison joined a coalition in filing an amended lawsuit challenging OMB’s attempt to gut AmeriCorps programs. On the day their response for these actions was due in Court, OMB and AmeriCorps instead agreed to fully release the previously withheld funds. 

"AmeriCorps is a program dedicated to public service and its members do incredible work across Minnesota to lift people out of poverty, support folks in need, and give back to their communities. The charitable work done by AmeriCorps members has improved countless people’s lives, and I am extremely pleased to have protected the program from the Trump Administration’s callous and unlawful budget cuts,” said Attorney General Keith Ellison. “It is heartening to know that these funds will soon be put to work helping folks afford their lives and live with dignity, safety, and respect."

Background

On April 29, Attorney General Ellison and the coalition challenged the Trump Administration’s plans to eliminate nearly 90 percent of AmeriCorps’ workforce, abruptly cancel its contracts, and close $400 million worth of AmeriCorps-supported programs. In June, the Court granted a preliminary injunction that reinstated hundreds of AmeriCorps programs that were unlawfully cancelled and barred AmeriCorps from making similar cuts without formal rulemaking. Despite the order, OMB continued to withhold over $184 million intended for outstanding service programs, including AmeriCorps Seniors programs, and many programs funded with highly competitive federal grants. 

Because the Trump administration withheld these critical resources, the coalition filed an amended lawsuit in July that added OMB as a defendant. On August 8, Attorney General Ellison and the coalition filed a motion for a preliminary injunction, asking for an order to stop OMB from withholding the relevant funds. The Trump administration’s response was due today, August 28. Rather than oppose the states’ motion, the administration instead informed the Court that OMB would release all withheld AmeriCorps funds, totaling over $184 million, which AmeriCorps will distribute to programs nationwide, as quickly as possible.  

Impact

This relief means that service programs across the country will be protected from the administration’s devastating attempted cuts. AmeriCorps supports national and state community service programs by funding and placing volunteers in local and national organizations that address critical community needs. Organizations rely on support from AmeriCorps to recruit, place, and supervise AmeriCorps members nationwide. 

AmeriCorps has over 14,000 volunteers and members in Minnesota who serve their communities at over 2,100 service locations across the state. They work at food banks, homeless shelters, faith-based organizations, and more. Some of the projects undertaken by AmeriCorps members in Minnesota include tutoring students who are struggling academically, teaching digital literacy skills to low-income Minnesotans to help them find greater economic opportunities, and working with Habitat for Humanity to build affordable housing.

Attorney General Ellison was joined by the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawai‛i, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin, and the governors of Kentucky and Pennsylvania in filing the lawsuit.