New Delhi, April 1 -- A coalition of Democratic-led states has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, seeking to challenge its decision to cancel $11 billion in federal grants that had been allocated to states during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The lawsuit, filed on Tuesday (April 1) in federal court in Rhode Island, argues that the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) lacked the authority to unilaterally rescind the funds after states had already used them to build critical health programs.

Attorneys general and governors from 23 states and the District of Columbia are part of the legal action, asserting that the grants were vital for maintaining public health initiatives related to infectious disease control, mental ...