Attorneys general and other officials from 23 states filed the lawsuit in federal court in Rhode Island on April 1. They include New York Attorney General Letitia James and Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser, as well as Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro…

The lawsuit argues that the cuts to public health funding are illegal and that the federal government has failed to provide a “rational basis” or support for the cuts. The attorneys general say this would result in “serious harm to public health,” putting states “at greater risk of pandemics and increasing the spread of preventable diseases.”

The lawsuit asks the court to immediately block the Trump administration from rescinding funds that were appropriated by Congress during the pandemic and were primarily used for COVID-19-related efforts such as testing and vaccinations, as well as addiction and mental health programs.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which began sending out layoff notices for 10,000 employees on April 1, said it does not comment on ongoing litigation.

Local and state public health departments are still assessing the impact of the damage, though the lawsuit says the cuts will cost hundreds of employees their jobs and undermine efforts to prevent infectious diseases like flu and measles.

North Carolina health officials estimate the state is at risk of losing $230 million, affecting dozens of local health departments, hospital systems, universities and rural health centers. At least 80 government jobs and dozens of contractors will be affected, according to state health officials.

“There are appropriate measures to improve how taxpayer dollars are spent, but this is not one of them,” said North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson. “Immediately shutting down vital health care programs across the state without proper authority is not only wrong, it puts lives at risk.”

More than two dozen COVID-19-related research grants provided by the National Institutes of Health have been canceled after President Donald Trump signed an executive order cutting public health funding.

Data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in March showed COVID-19 was still killing about 411 people a week, even though the federal public health emergency had ended.