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They Break the Law

Earthjustice Fights
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Test your knowledge on Trump’s attacks on the environment.

And read about three key ways we’re taking on the Trump administration.

June 27, 2026

In every lawsuit, Earthjustice is fighting lawlessness and driving progress — and we’re winning.

How did you do?

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1. Taking on Trump in Court

In the first year of President Trump’s second administration, we have already sued the administration more than 50 times, averaging one lawsuit a week.

When Trump issued an illegal executive order on his first day in office that opened protected U.S. waters to offshore drilling, Earthjustice filed the first major environmental lawsuit against the administration. We stopped a similar drilling scheme proposed by Trump during his first administration — and now we’re in court to stop him again.

Question 1 of 3
Which areas of coastline are under threat from Trump’s illegal drilling order?

Answer: All of the above.

President Trump is seeking to revoke protections against offshore drilling from millions of acres of vulnerable ocean territory along every U.S. coast. These areas include:

  • 269 million acres in the Atlantic Ocean stretching from Maine to Florida
  • Nearly 250 million acres in the Pacific Ocean
  • 65 million acres of the Eastern and Central Gulf of Mexico
  • 2.8 million acres of the Beaufort Sea, 44 million acres off the Alaskan Coast, and 125 million acres in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas that President Obama protected
A brown pelican covered in oil sits on the Louisiana coast in June 2010. Oil from the Deepwater Horizon has affected wildlife throughout the Gulf of Mexico.
A brown pelican covered in oil sits on the Louisiana coast in June 2010. Oil from the Deepwater Horizon has affected wildlife throughout the Gulf of Mexico. (Charlie Riedel / AP)

1.27 Billion Acres of Ocean are at Risk

Background image of map showing new areas in the Gulf of Mexico, Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, and Bering Sea withdrawn from offshore oil leasing, and previously protected areas nearby.

Areas Withdrawn by Biden Admin.
from Oil and Gas Leasing

Previously Protected Areas Nearby

The ocean areas include invaluable ecosystems and waters that are vital for coastal resilience, tourism, sustainable fishing, and national defense.

Pacific Ocean

Atlantic Ocean

Gulf of Mexico

Trump Tries to Force Oil and Gas Drilling on Protected Oceans: Former President Biden permanently protected millions of vulnerable acres in the ocean. Trump cannot legally undo those protections. (Casey Chin / Earthjustice. Data: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management)

A brown pelican covered in oil sits on the Louisiana coast in June 2010. Oil from the Deepwater Horizon has affected wildlife throughout the Gulf of Mexico.
A brown pelican covered in oil sits on the Louisiana coast in June 2010. Oil from the Deepwater Horizon has affected wildlife throughout the Gulf of Mexico. (Charlie Riedel / AP)

2. Enforcing the Law

Without enforcement, environmental laws are just words on paper. That’s why Earthjustice steps in to hold polluters accountable when the government won’t.

While the Trump administration uses AI as an excuse to boost and bail out the coal and gas industry, our new enforcement team is fighting a dirty, illegally operating gas plant built to power xAI, Elon Musk’s data center company.

Question 2 of 3
How do AI data centers powered by fossil fuels impact the environment?

Answer: All of the above.

Data centers being built for AI tools are enormous facilities that run 24 hours a day, often consuming as much energy as a whole city to power servers and cooling systems.

The unchecked, speculative buildout of data centers powered by fossil fuels raises electricity rates, dramatically increases air pollution, and undermines clean energy goals.

The NAACP and Earthjustice are suing Elon Musk’s company xAI under the Clean Air Act over air pollution from an unpermitted power plant built for an AI data center.

We’re also working across the country to fight data centers that increase electricity costs.

A purple-hued thermal image shows emissions from a row of turbines as bright yellow. The emissions are not visible with the unaided human eye.
Thermal drone imagery shows more than a dozen unpermitted gas turbines operating at xAI’s gas plant in Southaven, Miss. (Evan Simon / Floodlight)

3. Making Climate Progress

While the Trump administration denies climate change and worsens its impacts, Earthjustice is working in the states with a winning playbook for progress: Partner with grassroots advocacy groups to push for strong climate laws in states like Maryland and Illinois, then bring court cases to put those laws into action.

We also successfully defended Trump’s attacks on New York’s congestion pricing plan, a first-in-the-nation initiative that has already resulted in cleaner air, faster commutes, and safer streets.

Question 3 of 3
New York’s congestion pricing plan has reduced air pollution by ...

Answer: In the first six months of congestion pricing, PM2.5 air pollution — a main driver of asthma and other respiratory ailments — fell by 22% in the congestion relief zone.

Researchers also reported declines in air pollution across the city’s five boroughs and surrounding suburbs.

A woman bundled up in a long, brown puffy coat walks in a crosswalk across a street. A small terrier dog wearing a sweater trots along after her. A red-striped bus lane stretches into the distance perpendicular to the crosswalk.
Congestion pricing in New York City has improved the air quality and reduced gridlock. (Kena Betancur / VIEWpress via Getty Images)