Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul recently joined multistate coalitions opposing moves by President Trump’s administration amid COVID-19.

On June 29, Kaul joined a coalition of 15 state attorneys general in a letter opposing President Trump’s executive order on expediting infrastructure investments during COVID-19. Trump issued Executive Order 13927 on June 4, instructing federal agencies to use emergency authority to bypass some regulations to speed up infrastructure projects and facilitate economic recovery. In their letter of opposition, the AGs argue that agencies cannot use their emergency powers to bypass the environmental reviews unless there is an immediate threat to public health. As such, the AGs request the withdrawal of the executive order.

On July 7, Kaul joined five attorneys general in a multistate lawsuit challenging the U.S. Department of Education’s promulgation of a rule allow private schools to utilize federal corona virus relief funding in the CARES Act. The AGs argue that the Department misinterpreted CARES Act requirements and thus the rule should be permanently enjoined

On July 13, Kaul joined a coalition of 18 attorneys general in a lawsuit challenging U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) directive that international students may not live in the U.S. and take all their classes online.The lawsuit claims the directive is arbitrary and capricious, is in violation of the Administrative Procedure Act, and imposes significant economic harms and health risks on international students and universities. UW System President Tommy Thompson said he fully supported Kaul’s actions on the ICE rule. The Trump administration withdrew the rule on July 14.