Young Climate Activists' Suit Over Trump Orders Is Dismissed

UPDATE Oct 15, 2025 6:51 PM CDT

A federal judge on Wednesday took young climate activists' point but nevertheless dismissed their lawsuit seeking to block President Trump's executive orders promoting fossil fuels and discouraging renewable energy. US District Judge Dana Christensen said the plaintiffs brought overwhelming evidence that climate change affects them and that it will worsen under Trump's orders. But he decided their request for the courts to intervene was unworkable, saying that creating environmental policies is not within the power of the judiciary, the AP reports. A White House spokeswoman called the ruling a victory for Trump voters who support producing more fossil fuels. A lawyer for Our Children's Trust said the group will appeal.

Sep 15, 2025 7:45 PM CDT

A group of 22 young climate activists is taking President Trump to federal court, urging a judge to block three executive orders they say threaten their future by boosting fossil fuels. The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Montana against Trump, 13 federal agencies, and multiple officials, argues that the executive actions exceed presidential authority and undermine the plaintiffs' rights to a safe environment, the New York Times reports. The orders in question aim to promote domestic energy, revive the coal industry, and address what Trump called an energy emergency.

The Justice Department seeks dismissal of the case, saying it mirrors a previous youth-led climate lawsuit, Juliana v. United States, that courts have rejected. Federal lawyers argue that the grievances belong in the political sphere, not in court, and question whether the young plaintiffs have legal standing. The plaintiffs, who range in age from 7 to 25 and are mostly from Montana, want the policies halted until the case is resolved.

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The group who won a landmark 2023 case in Montana, in which a state court faulted officials for permitting oil, gas, and coal projects without regard for global warming. But that case hinged on a provision in Montana's constitution declaring people have a "right to a clean and healthful environment," per the AP. The US Constitution lacks such wording. "Federal law doesn't really offer anything to really work with for these groups," said David Dana, a professor at Northwestern University Law School in Chicago. The two-day hearing is to begin Tuesday in Missoula.