California officials filed an emergency motion on Tuesday seeking to halt former U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs, which they claim have triggered $25 billion in projected consumer losses and threaten over 64,000 jobs. The motion, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, argues Trump exceeded presidential authority by invoking emergency powers to impose tariffs without congressional approval.
Governor Gavin Newsom and Attorney General Rob Bonta warned that the tariffs risk escalating inflation, disrupting supply chains, and worsening unemployment. "Families and businesses are literally paying the price," Newsom said, citing impacts on California's state budget revisions reflecting rising economic uncertainty.
Minority-owned small businesses face disproportionate strain, according to court documents. Cathy Rodriguez-Aguirre of the Sacramento Hispanic Chamber of Commerce noted Latino entrepreneurs are among the hardest hit by tariff-driven cost surges. California's agricultural sector also grapples with retaliatory tariffs from U.S. trading partners.
Legal experts suggest the case may reach the U.S. Supreme Court, testing constitutional limits on executive trade authority. Five small businesses separately challenged Trump's tariffs in New York, with plaintiffs' lawyer Jeffrey Schwab calling the policy an "unlawful expansion" of presidential power.
The court has yet to schedule a hearing for California's injunction motion. The outcome could reshape trade policy enforcement and economic stability for U.S. states and businesses.
