Lighthiser v. Trump

Last updated


Lighthiser v. Trump is an environmental and climate change-related lawsuit that was filed in U.S. district court by Our Children's Trust on behalf of 22 youth plaintiffs, seeking revocation of certain executive orders of U.S. President Trump that favored fossil fuels over renewable energy and climate science. [1] [2]

Contents

Background and history

On December 18, 2024, Montana's Supreme Court upheld a county court ruling in favor of youth plaintiffs in Held v. Montana . [3] Interpreting the Montana state constitution, the Held court ruled that a certain Montana law "violates Youth Plaintiffs' right to a clean and healthful environment and is unconstitutional on its face". [4] On May 29, 2025, Lighthiser was filed in the federal district court in Butte, Montana, 68 miles (109 km) from the Held venue in Helena. [1] The 22 Lighthiser plaintiffs, ages 7–25, included ten plaintiffs from the Held suit. [1]

The Lighthiser complaint named as defendants, President Donald Trump, several cabinet secretaries [1] and numerous executive agencies, [5] saying they are engaging in unlawful executive overreach. [2] The plaintiffs argued that three of Trump's orders "amount to a wholesale attack on clean renewable energy and climate science—escalating the climate emergency" and violating their Fifth Amendment right to life and liberty. [1] [Note 1] Specifically, plaintiffs refer to Trump's executive orders declaring "a national energy emergency", boosting production of "American energy", and reinvigorating "America’s beautiful, clean coal industry". [1]

The complaint argues that Trump acted beyond his legally granted powers (ultra vires) to "unleash" fossil fuel pollution and "debilitate" the Environmental Protection Agency, to "terminate" the Congressionally mandated National Climate Assessment, "dismantling, suppressing and scrubbing" science on government websites, and violating the state-created danger [Note 2] doctrine. [5] :pp. ii and 95-118. Unlike Juliana v. United States which tried unsuccessfully to force the government to change the country's energy system, the Lighthiser plantiffs merely seek revocation of Trump's executive orders. [1] [Note 3]

A May 29, 2025 Trump administration communication asserted that "the American people are more concerned with the future generations' economic and national security" and that "future generations should not have to foot the bill for the left's radical climate agenda". [6]

Notes

  1. ↑ The Fifth Amendment states "No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation." (emphasis added)
  2. ↑ The state-created danger doctrine is conceived to prevent a government from causing injury to its citizens by its own actions. —Noor, Dharna (May 29, 2025). "Trump violating right to life with anti-environment orders, youth lawsuit says". The Guardian. Archived from the original on May 31, 2025.
  3. ↑ The Prayer for Relief (pp. 119-120 of the complaint) sought: a declaration that Trump's executive orders and any implementing executive actions are unlawful, unconstitutional, ultra vires, and invalid; a permanent injunction prohibiting implementation or enforcement of the orders; a permanent injunction requiring that defendants rescind all agencywide directives applying, implementing, and effectuating the orders; award of lawsuit-related costs to plaintiffs.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Hurwitz, Sophie (June 6, 2025). "Youth climate activists won lawsuits in Montana and Hawai'i. Now they're targeting Trump". Grist. Archived from the original on June 7, 2025.
  2. 1 2 Noor, Dharna (May 29, 2025). "Trump violating right to life with anti-environment orders, youth lawsuit says". The Guardian. Archived from the original on May 31, 2025.
  3. ↑ Zraic, Karen (December 18, 2024). "Youth Climate Activists Get Major Win in Montana Supreme Court". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 19, 2024.
  4. ↑ Seeley, Kathy (August 14, 2023). "Findings of fact, conclusions of law, and order" (PDF). Montana First Judicial District Court, Lewis and Clark County. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 15, 2023. Order, §§ 6, 8, and 9 at p. 102
  5. 1 2 "Complaint for Declaratory and Injunctive Relief" (PDF). Complaint filed with the U.S. District Court for the District of Montana, Butte Division. May 29, 2025. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 31, 2025.
  6. ↑ Eggert, Amanda (May 29, 2025). "Plaintiffs from landmark Held case file constitutional climate case against Trump, federal agencies". Montana Free Press. Archived from the original on May 31, 2025.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.