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The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) is suing the Trump administration on a wide range of issues—and winning.
For more than 50 years, UCS has fought for common sense, science-based solutions that protect people and the planet. We’re the nation’s largest independent science advocacy organization and we’re fiercely proud of our accomplishments.
Censorship, disinformation, and other dangerous precedents threaten to undermine decades of our work on clean energy, climate change, transportation, food, and the rules of democracy itself.
But facts and evidence still matter, especially in court. That’s why UCS will sue any administration—including the second Trump administration—to hold them accountable for violating laws and the constitution. We aim to restore the role of science in policymaking and make progress on science-based decisions across all levels of government.
In partnership with a wide range of other organizations, UCS is engaged in 4 main legal strategies:
Strategy 1: Protect key policies
The Trump administration has sought to illegally repeal bedrock regulations that protect everyday people and communities from harm. We won’t let them.
Success: EDF et al v. Wright
In August 2025, UCS and the Environmental Defense Fund challenged the administration’s use of a secretly convened group of climate skeptics, who prepared a widely disparaged report in an attempt to undo a bedrock legal finding (the “endangerment finding”). The case was terminated in January 2026 after a judge agreed with our case. Read more.
Pending: APHA et al v. EPA
In February 2026, UCS joined the American Public Health Association and 15 other organizations in a lawsuit against Lee Zeldin and the EPA, alleging that the repeal of the endangerment finding was unlawful. The case is moving through the courts now. Read more.
Strategy #2: Fight censorship
The Trump administration is illegally suppressing, hiding, and removing scientific information and data. We’re getting it back.
Pending: Sierra Club et al v. EPA
In April 2025, UCS joined the Sierra Club and other organizations in challenging the removal of webpages about environmental justice and climate change by five federal agencies. We’re awaiting the court’s decision. Read more.
Pending: NPCA et al v. DOI
In February 2026, UCS joined the National Parks Conservation Association and four other organizations challenging President Trump’s executive order on the rewriting of American history and removal of climate science at national parks. We’re awaiting the court’s response. Read more
Strategy #3: Defend scientific infrastructure
The Trump administration has relentlessly attacked and defunded scientific infrastructure in violation of the United States constitution. We’re defending it.
Pending: JACL et al v. Musk
In March 2025, UCS joined the Japanese American Citizens League, Asian Pacific American Advocates, and the Sierra Club to sue a range of defendants, including Elon Musk, on illegal cuts to federal agency funding and staffing. We believe our lawsuit was a factor in slowing down some of the Department of Government Efficiency's (DOGE) actions during the first year of the Trump administration, and also brought pressure that helped force the administration to disband DOGE early. Our case continues as we ask the court to order the government actually prove DOGE's work is discontinued and not ongoing under the radar. Read more.
Strategy #4: Better scientific capacity for climate litigation
In 2020, UCS launched The Science Hub for Climate Litigation, a community of scientists and legal experts working at the intersection of science and legal theory. We connect experts, conduct novel research, and work to ensure that courts have access to science to inform their decision making. Read more.
The fight for science extends far beyond the courtroom. Read our campaign pages for a closer look at how UCS advocacy is unfolding at the state and federal levels.
Related resources
Environmental Impacts of Solar Power
Environmental Impacts of Renewable Energy Technologies
Nuclear Frontline Communities
