US states sue Trump administration over endangered species protections

Key facts

• U.S. states have filed lawsuits challenging the Trump administration's weakening of the Endangered Species Act.
• The administration's new rules prioritize economic considerations in species protection decisions.
• Newly listed threatened species may no longer automatically receive protections against "take."
• Conservation groups argue these changes prioritize corporate interests over wildlife and science.
• The lawsuits contend the administration's actions defy the statute's text, purpose, and legal precedent.

Multiple U.S. states and a coalition of conservation groups have filed lawsuits against the Trump administration, alleging that its recent changes to the Endangered Species Act (ESA) are illegal and harmful to wildlife.

The lawsuits challenge two specific rulemakings. One rule removes the automatic protections against killing, trapping, or other forms of "take" for species newly listed as threatened, potentially leaving them unprotected for years. The other rule gives significant weight to economic considerations when deciding whether to protect endangered species and their critical habitats.

These actions are seen by critics as a continuation of the administration's efforts to weaken the ESA, following a previous rule that reversed a long-standing interpretation of the act's protection against habitat destruction. Conservation organizations argue that these changes prioritize industry interests over scientific evidence and exacerbate the extinction crisis.

Groups like Earthjustice, Defenders of Wildlife, the Center for Biological Diversity, and the Sierra Club are involved in challenging these rules, asserting that they defy the ESA's statutory text, purpose, and decades of legal precedent. They contend that habitat loss is a primary driver of extinction and that weakening these protections will lead to increased biodiversity loss.