President Donald Trump’s administration moved Monday to block a lawsuit Minnesota officials filed almost six years ago alleging oil companies and a petroleum trade group deceived state residents about climate change.

The U.S. Department of Justice, the administration’s law enforcement arm, filed an action in federal court in Minneapolis arguing that the federal government has the authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions, not states, and that Minnesota officials are trying to improperly impose their policy preferences on the rest of the country.

kAm“%96 r@?DE:EFE:@? 5@6D ?@E E@=6C2E6 DF49 2 4@?7=:4E[” yFDE:46 s6A2CE>6?E 2EE@C?6JD 2C8F65 😕 E96 7:=:?8] “}@C 5@6D :E 2==@H |:??6D@E2 E@ ?2E:@?2= :ED C68F=2E@CJ A@H6CD]”k^Am

kAm|:??6D@E2 pEE@C?6J v6?6C2= z6:E9 t==:D@?[ 2 s6>@4C2E[ 7:=65 2 =2HDF:E 😕 DE2E6 4@FCE 😕 yF?6 a_a_ 282:?DE tII@?|@3:=[ z@49 x?5FDEC:6D[ E96 p>6C:42? !6EC@=6F> x?DE:EFE6 2?5 C67:?6CJ 4@>A2?J u=:?E w:==D #6D@FC46D[ 2 z@49 DF3D:5:2CJ[ 244FD:?8 E96> @7 4@?DF>6C 7C2F5 2?5 5646AE:G6 EC256 AC24E:46D] pE =62DE `d @E96C DE2E6D 3C@F89E D:>:=2C =2HDF:ED[ :?4=F5:?8 |2DD249FD6EED[ }6H *@C< 2?5 #9@56 xD=2?5]k^Am

kAmt==:D@? :DDF65 2 DE2E6>6?E |@?52J 42==:?8 E96 yFDE:46 s6A2CE>6?EVD 24E:@? >6C:E=6DD]k^Am

kAm“%96 p>6C:42? A6@A=6 56D6CG6 2 s6A2CE>6?E @7 yFDE:46 E92E 7:89ED 7@C FD[ 2?5 :EVD 2 EC6>6?5@FD D92>6 E92E %CF>AVD s~y H@F=5 C2E96C D6== FD @FE E@ q:8 ~:=[” t==:D@? D2:5]k^Am

kAm|6DD286D %96 pDD@4:2E65 !C6DD =67E 7@C >65:2 @77:4:2=D 2E tII@?|@3:=[ E96 z@49 x?5FDEC:6D 2?5 E96 p>6C:42? !6EC@=6F> x?DE:EFE6 @? |@?52J H6C6?’E :>>65:2E6=J C6EFC?65] tII@?|@3:= @77:4:2=D D2:5 H96? t==:D@? DF65 😕 a_a_ E92E E96 24E:@? H2D 32D6=6DD] %96 p>6C:42? !6EC@=6F> x?DE:EFE6 D2:5 E96? E92E E96 :?5FDECJ AC@G:56D C6=:23=6 6?6C8J E@ &]$] 4@?DF>6CD H9:=6 DF3DE2?E:2==J C65F4:?8 :ED 6?G:C@?>6?E2= 7@@EAC:?E]k^Am

kAm%CF>A 92D 42==65 7@C 3@@DE:?8 5@>6DE:4 6?6C8J AC@5F4E:@?] %96 25>:?:DEC2E:@? 😕 u63CF2CJ C6G@<65 2 D4:6?E:7:4 7:?5:?8 E92E =@?8 92D 366? E96 46?EC2= 32D:D 7@C &]$] 24E:@? E@ C68F=2E6 8C66?9@FD6 82D 6>:DD:@?D 2?5 7:89E k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^4=:>2E6\2?5\6?G:C@?>6?EQm4=:>2E6 492?86k^2m[ E96 >@DE 288C6DD:G6 >@G6 3J E96 #6AF3=:42? AC6D:56?E E@ C@== 324< 4=:>2E6 C68F=2E:@?D] %96 CF=6 7:?2=:K65 3J E96 t?G:C@?>6?E2= !C@E64E:@? p86?4J C6D4:?565 2 a__h 8@G6C?>6?E 564=2C2E:@? @H? 2D E96 6?52?86C>6?E 7:?5:?8 E92E 56E6C>:?65 42C3@? 5:@I:56 2?5 @E96C 8C66?9@FD6 82D6D E9C62E6? AF3=:4 962=E9 2?5 H6=72C6]k^Am

kAm%96 yFDE:46 s6A2CE>6?E 7:=:?8 >2CA 25>:?:DEC2E:@? 2?5 |:??6D@E2 @77:4:2=D] %96 EH@ D:56D 92G6 366? 2E @55D D:?46 y2?F2CJ[ H96? 7656C2= :>>:8C2E:@? @77:46CD <:==65 EH@ |:??62A@=:D C6D:56?ED 😕 D6A2C2E6 :?4:56?ED 5FC:?8 2 4C24<5@H? 😕 E96 4:EJ] u656C2= 286?ED 😕 pAC:= 4@?5F4E65 2 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^>:??6D@E2\7C2F5\>65:42:5\:>>:8C2E:@?\4C24<5@H?\_3c55b7a_2b4`_g`5dg`g2b25`_a_gagQmD6C:6D @7 D62C496Dk^2m 4@??64E65 H:E9 2? :?G6DE:82E:@? :?E@ AF3=:4=J 7F?565 D@4:2= AC@8C2>D 7@C 49:=5C6?[ 7FCE96C 6D42=2E:?8 E6?D:@?D]k^Am

Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.