Democratic officials in 23 states and the District of Columbia on Tuesday sued the Trump administration for clawing back roughly $12 billion in health grants awarded during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Filed in a Rhode Island federal court, the lawsuit argues that the Department of Health and Human Services lacked the authority to single-handedly cancel grants that Congress authorized for public health, mental health and addiction initiatives.

“Slashing this funding now will reverse our progress on the opioid crisis, throw our mental health systems into chaos, and leave hospitals struggling to care for patients,” said New York Attorney General Laetitia James, whose state lost $400 million in the cuts. “My office is taking immediate action to stop this heartless and shortsighted move and ensure these life-saving programs remain intact.”

The lawsuit seeks an emergency restraining order to block HHS from cutting the funds. If the court fails to heed the request, the complaint says “key public health programs and initiatives that address ongoing and emerging public health needs” will end, costing thousands of health care workers their jobs.

Eliminated funds include $11.4 billion from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for pandemic preparedness, overdose prevention and community health programs. They include $1 billion that the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration disbursed for addiction treatment, suicide prevention and crisis intervention programs.

The states said they were using the funding for pandemic preparedness, overdose prevention and community mental health programs. Services provided include addiction treatment, suicide prevention and crisis intervention.

The Washington Times has reached out to HHS for comment.

Since taking office on Feb. 13, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has proposed sweeping cuts to federal health spending.

In an announcement last week, HHS said it was cutting the state grants because they were allocated to combat a pandemic that no longer exists. The Trump administration has vowed to trim wasteful spending from the federal government.

“The COVID-19 pandemic is over, and HHS will no longer waste billions of taxpayer dollars responding to a non-existent pandemic that Americans moved on from years ago,” HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon said in a statement.

The other plaintiffs in Tuesday’s lawsuit are the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia, and the governors of Kentucky and Pennsylvania.