Attorney General Ellison seeks to halt tariffs in landmark case at U.S. Supreme Court
Ellison expresses cautious optimism following oral arguments, noting justices’ skepticism of Trump’s assertation of unreviewable and unlimited power to impose tariffs
November 5, 2025 (SAINT PAUL) — Today, the U.S. Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) heard oral arguments in a landmark case challenging the federal government’s use of emergency powers to impose sweeping tariffs. Minnesota and a coalition of 11 other states filed the lawsuit, which tests whether the President exceeded his authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).
Attorney General Ellison released the following statement at the conclusion of today’s oral arguments:
"My job as Attorney General is to help Minnesotans afford their lives, and President Trump’s unlawful tariffs are making that harder for countless Minnesotans by raising prices on everything from food to clothing to cars and so much more. That’s why I challenged Trump’s unlawful and harmful tariffs in court, and why today our coalition argued our case in front of the Supreme Court.”
“The Supreme Court was rightly skeptical of the President’s extraordinary assertion of an unreviewable power to impose tariffs on any country, for any length of time, in any amount, simply by declaring an ‘emergency.’ Most of the justices on the Supreme Court expressed serious concern about the President’s claimed power to tariff the entire world, without any grant of that power from Congress, and I am cautiously optimistic that the Court will hold the President’s extraordinary tariffs unlawful.”
Background
On April 23, 2025, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Oregon and Vermont filed the suit in the U.S. Court of International Trade.
- The case challenges the President’s use of IEEPA to impose broad tariffs on imports, arguing that statute does not delegate Congress’s tariff powers under Article I of the U.S. Constitution.
- The tariffs at issue included sweeping “reciprocal” tariffs on nearly all imports, as well as targeted tariffs affecting Canada, Mexico, and China, among others.
- In May 2025, the United States Court of International Trade ruled in favor of the states, finding the tariffs exceeded the President’s authority under IEEPA.
- The federal government appealed against that ruling. On August 29, 2025, the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit affirmed that ruling—finding the President’s tariff orders went beyond the statutory grant of authority and were therefore unlawful.
- The Supreme Court agreed to expedited review of the Federal Circuit decision.
The Supreme Court’s ruling will determine whether the President can unilaterally impose tariffs under emergency powers and what limits the Constitution places on executive trade authority.
Minnesota’s economy is already feeling the effects of these tariffs. Experts estimate that tariffs will cost the average household an additional $1,800 per year. Farmers in particular are struggling due to President Trump's tariffs, as input costs on key agricultural inputs like pesticides, tractors and tractor parts, and fertilizers have increased dramatically, according to North Dakota State University's Center for Agricultural Policy and Trade Studies.
