"I won't let this administration stretch their authority to serve their political agenda," she said in a post on social media, adding, "I'm fighting to protect our students."
Newsweek reached out to the White House via email for comment.
The announcement arrived as the Trump administration defended sweeping actions against diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts at federal agencies and among government contractors, and as courts weighed challenges to those orders. A federal appeals court last month rejected a broad challenge to the administration's DEI restrictions, narrowing the path for opponents to contest the policies.
The case could test how far the administration may go in directing or disciplining colleges and universities, with potential ripple effects for students, faculty, and institutional governance nationwide.
James signaled legal action in a post on X, stating that her office was "suing the Trump administration for targeting colleges."
James's lawsuit against the Trump administration underscored escalating legal clashes over the federal government's efforts to curb DEI initiatives and to oversee colleges and universities.
The Fourth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in February allowed the administration's anti-DEI directives to stand against a facial challenge, signaling that opponents must contest agency-by-agency applications -- raising the stakes for state attorneys general and higher education stakeholders seeking clarity on federal limits and college autonomy, Reuters reported.
The move came after James and other perceived critics of President Donald Trump faced federal investigations or charges that courts partly unwound.
In 2025, James sought dismissal of federal fraud charges she called "vindictive and selective prosecution," arguing the case stemmed from Trump's political animus against her protected speech and official duties. She pleaded not guilty in October 2025.
A judge dismissed federal cases against James and former FBI Director James Comey because the prosecutor had been unlawfully appointed, while leaving unresolved broader claims of vindictive prosecution that several defendants had raised.
Reporting in October 2025 documented heightened federal scrutiny of several Black women in public service, including James and Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, alongside the administration's rollback of DEI programs -- a trend civil rights advocates warned could diminish government capacity to enforce anti-discrimination laws.
New York Attorney General Letitia James said in a post on X Wednesday: "My office is suing the Trump administration for targeting colleges and demanding they turn over sensitive student data to root out DEI initiatives. I won't let this administration stretch their authority to serve their political agenda. I'm fighting to protect our students."
Excerpt from Letitia James's motion to dismiss federal fraud charges: "The government targeted AG James for prosecution because of the President's genuine animus towards her protected campaign speech and fulfillment of her statutory obligations as New York Attorney General."
U.S. Circuit Judge Albert Diaz, writing for the panel that rejected the facial challenge to the administration's DEI orders: "President Trump has decided that equity isn't a priority in his administration and so has directed his subordinates to terminate funding that supports equity-related projects to the maximum extent allowed by law."
James's office had not, as of publication, released a public complaint or docket details for the newly announced lawsuit, and the X post referencing the action was inaccessible.
Separately, litigation over the Trump administration's DEI policies is likely to proceed on an as‑applied basis, with universities, grantees, and contractors challenging specific enforcement actions at the agency level, Reuters reported, citing the Fourth Circuit's direction.