Update: This story has been updated with comments from the NAACPand Southern Environmental Law Center.
The U.S. government is stepping into the middle of xAI’s ongoing legal battles with the NAACP and the Mississippi State Conference of the NAACP.
On June 15, the United States of America filed a motion for intervention and dismissal with the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi. U.S. Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward and other members of the U.S. Department of Justice filed the motion.
” … the court should grant intervention to the United States and dismiss this private citizen lawsuit in full with prejudice,” the court filing reads.
More: SpaceX IPO makes Elon Musk the world’s first trillionaire
In May, the NAACP and Mississippi State Conference filed a preliminary injunction against xAI and its affiliate MZX Tech LLC, for alleged Clean Air Act violations via unpermitted use of gas turbines at its Southaven power plant, 2875 Stanton Road. On June 10, the groups updated the lawsuit after discovery identified nearly 30 more turbines at the site from the initial May filing.
MZX Tech LLC purchased the Stanton Road power plant, the former Duke Energy site, in July 2025. Additionally, in February 2026, SpaceX acquired xAI.
The NAACP Director of Environmental and Climate Justice provided this statement regarding the Department of Justice’s court filing:
“At a time when the ultra-rich seem to be protected and supported by some of our government entities, it is important that polluting industries don’t get to benefit at the expense of the health of Black communities. Citizen suits are a bedrock insurance policy for communities to hold polluters accountable for decisions that cause them harm. This should not be up for debate, and the NAACP will continue to stand up for democracy and against federal bullying and authoritarianism.”
xAI ‘vital’ for national security
In the motion to dismiss, the U.S. government argues xAI is vital for national security.
In the court filings, Cameron Stanley of the Department of War claims xAI’s “Grok represents one of only four proprietary state-of-the-art AI models currently capable of national security applications.”
Additionally, the Grok software helps the government’s Marvin Smart System, which runs targeting and readiness for mission operations. The AI systems were able to “deploy over 2,000 munitions to 2,000 distinct targets within 96 hours during Operation Epic Fury” to the U.S. military, according to court documents.
A bus passes by as construction continues at Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence company xAI, in Southaven, Mississippi, U.S., April 23, 2026.
More: Colossus Water Recycling Plant land deal closes, construction still paused
“Operation Epic Fury” marked the beginning of the US.-Iran War in February 2026. The U.S.-Iranian conflict remains ongoing.
In the court documents for dismissal, Stanley claims without the Stanton Road power plant operations, Grok at xAI’s Colossus 2 data center, located at 5420 Tulane Road, could cease operations and “lose capacity to train and develop, future improved versions of Grok.”
Stanley serves as the chief digital intelligence officer for the Department of War (the Department of Defense). He has been in that position since January 2026, according to the court documents.
MS governor opposed to potential injunctive relief
The motion to dismiss also includes a May 29 letter Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves sent to acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zedlin.
“Through the subject litigation, the NAACP is seeking to materially slow or outright stop the largest private investment in Mississippi’s history,” Reeves said in the letter. “Any injunctive relief granted by the Court would create an immediate and substantial disruption to the State’s economy, particularly in North Mississippi.”
In January, Reeves was on-site to publicly announce xAI’s planned expansion for its third data center, Macrohardrr, 2400 Stateline Road. The facility is about 200 yards away from Colossus 2 and about 1.5 miles from xAI’s power plant on Stanton Road.
“With this filing, the Trump administration is launching an unprecedented attack on the public’s ability to defend themselves from illegal pollution. This is a blatant attempt to let well-connected corporations like xAI unlawfully pollute without any consequences, putting communities across the country at risk and threatening to open the door to large-scale pay-to-pollute corruption in the process,” Southern Environmental Law Center Litigan Director Kym Myer said in a statement.
The Southern Environmental Law Center filed the preliminary injunction on behalf of the NAACP and the Mississippi State Conference of the NAACP.
Neil Strebig is a journalist with The Commercial Appeal. He can be reached at neil.strebig@commercialappeal.com, 901-426-0679
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: DOJ calls for dismissal of xAI, NAACP Southaven lawsuit