The National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA), represented by the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia challenging the Trump Administration’s repeal of the Digital Equity Act Competitive Grant Program. The suit argues that the administration’s unilateral decision to end the statutory program and terminate grant funding is unconstitutional and violates the separation of powers between the executive and legislative branches as outlined in the Constitution. NDIA is asking the court to compel the Trump Administration to restore the Digital Equity Act Competitive Grant Program and allow NDIA to resume shovel-ready projects aimed at providing digital navigator services to 30,000 people in 11 states. In its lawsuit, NDIA challenges President Trump’s public proclamation via Truth Social, which incorrectly asserts that the DEA was unconstitutional, along with the subsequent decision by the Department of Commerce to cancel the awards. NDIA was awarded competitive grant funds on January 21, 2025, with an expected start date of March 1, 2025. The grant was designed to help NDIA equip 13 local digital navigator programs in 11 states with the resources to scale their work and reach 30,000 people through its new Digital Navigator+ (DN+) Program. These subgrantees represent a diverse cross-section of the country, working in Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, and Washington. NDIA was set to launch DN+, earlier this year, which would have gone beyond internet adoption, focusing on helping individuals with digital skills to address critical needs in health, education, workforce development, technology access, and social and civic engagement. In addition to scaling and strengthening the 13 local digital navigator programs, NDIA was set to create digital navigator resources that would have been made publicly available for use by any digital navigator program, multiplying the government’s investment. 

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