Columbus, Ohio | October 8, 2025 — Today, the National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA), represented by the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, announced it 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 is taking the extraordinary step of suing the federal government for the 30,000 people who were counting on our Digital Navigator + program to help guide them through submitting job applications, accessing telehealth, attending classes, and staying safe online. Thousands more across the country stood to benefit from Digital Equity Act grants through other trusted community organizations. Let’s be very clear, the Digital Equity Act is not unconstitutional nor racist, it passed with overwhelming bipartisan support to ensure the United States can compete in today’s modern economy.”
Angela Siefer, NDIA Executive Director
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.
NDIA was one of 65 different projects recommended for award and a full breakdown of NDIA’s award is available here.
“The Administration is cutting a program that improves the lives of millions of Americans and provides much-needed support, which continues to harm the most vulnerable among us,” said Gillian Cassell-Stiga, senior counsel of the Digital Justice Initiative at the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. “The goal of the Digital Equity Act is to ensure that everyone has access to essential resources, whether it be access to employment, healthcare, or education.”
A full copy of the lawsuit is available here.