Wisconsin fights Trump tariffs by joining 20 states in lawsuit

Attorney General Josh Kaul has announced that Wisconsin has joined more than 20 states in a lawsuit seeking to block a new round of 10% global tariffs. Days earlier, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled the tariffs the Trump administration put in place last year exceeded his authority. The administration is using the “balance-of-payments deficit” to justify the new tariffs.

At a press conference, Kaul described the tariffs as a tax on Wisconsin families. He cited a report from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York estimating that nearly 90% of the cost of tariffs in 2025 was borne by American consumers and businesses.

“A central issue for Americans today is affordability,” said Kaul. “Donald Trump has exacerbated this problem with the erratic tariffs that he has imposed, now for over a year. This suit is seeking to eliminate the most recent round of tariffs, to block them, and bring some real relief to consumers and families in Wisconsin.” 

Following the recent Supreme Court ruling against Trump’s tariffs, Kaul expressed confidence that the lawsuit would move quickly through the courts and that the tariffs would be ruled unconstitutional.  

“We are arguing in this suit that the President doesn't have the authority he claims to have, and that these tariffs that he's recently imposed are being unlawfully imposed on the American people, just as the prior set of tariffs were,” said Kaul.

Kaul, who just recently announced he will seek re-election in November, is hoping for a temporary order to block the new tariffs immediately, so the damage does not accumulate as with the first tariff order. 

Joining AG Kaul in filing the lawsuit are the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington, as well as the Governors of Pennsylvania and Kentucky. 

One of many lawsuits

Kaul and Governor Tony Evers have frequently used litigation to challenge President Trump’s policies they consider unlawful or harmful to Wisconsinites. As of March, Wisconsin has joined or filed at least 41 lawsuits against the Trump administration. 

The first lawsuit was filed on Inauguration Day in response to an executive order challenging birthright citizenship.

That executive order is currently blocked and is pending before the U.S. Supreme Court. The Court is weighing whether the 14th Amendment's Citizenship Clause allows the president to deny citizenship to children born on U.S. soil whose parents are undocumented or here on temporary visas. 

“Attempting to deny citizenship to kids who were born in the United States of America is as egregious and wrong-headed as it is unconstitutional,” said Gov. Evers at the time. “We must defend Americans’ constitutional rights, including the rights of kids who are born on U.S. soil, and that is exactly what we are doing today.” 

Since Trump retook office, Wisconsin has filed or joined lawsuits involving environmental issues, withholding of federal funds, Department of Education policies, SNAP benefits, and more. Details are available on the Wisconsin Department of Justice website.

Asked about the removal of Kristi Noem as Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Kaul said it was the right decision but warned that her replacement must be willing to collaborate with the states going forward. He noted that partnership had always been in place before.

“My administration has worked closely with federal partners to protect public safety over a number of years and across administrations,” he said. 

Wisconsin fights Trump tariffs by joining 20 states in lawsuit © 2026 by Carol Lenz is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0