Summary
The New Civil Liberties Alliance filed a lawsuit accusing Trump of illegally imposing tariffs on Chinese imports using emergency powers under the 1977 IEEPA.
The conservative legal group argues only Congress can levy tariffs and claims Trump’s actions violate the Constitution’s separation of powers.
The complaint says Trump’s justification—Chinese opioids and the trade deficit—fails to meet the legal standard of necessity.
NCLA seeks a court order to block the tariffs, stating the IEEPA does not authorize taxes and Trump’s executive orders bypass required congressional procedures.
The Republican majority in the House isn’t that big. They only need a few to flip, and the reactions to this round of tarrifs are cataclysmic so far.