US judge rejects Trump administration bid to block Hawaii climate lawsuit

Source: Reuters

April 15, 2026 9:21 PM EDT Updated 1 hour ago


April 15 (Reuters) - A federal judge on Wednesday dismissed a Trump administration lawsuit seeking to stop Hawaii from ​suing fossil fuel companies in state court over ‌climate change, citing a “longstanding” policy against federal intervention in state court processes.

The dismissal by U.S. District Judge Helen Gillmor in Honolulu ​marks the second time in 2026 that federal ​courts have blocked the U.S. Department of Justice’s ⁠efforts to head off climate change suits in state ​courts.

A different federal judge in January threw out a similar suit ​that sought to block the state of Michigan from suing major oil companies. Neither the Justice Department nor the Hawaii Attorney General’s ​office immediately provided comment Wednesday.

The Justice Department sued both ​Hawaii and Michigan in April of 2025, seeking to stop them from ‌filing ⁠planned lawsuits against major oil companies over climate change, cases the administration said would imperil domestic energy production. A day after that suit was filed, Hawaii sued various ​fossil fuel companies ​including BP, ⁠Chevron, ExxonMobil and Shell for allegedly selling products the companies knew would warm the ​planet.

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/us-judge-rejects-trump-administration-bid-block-hawaii-climate-lawsuit-2026-04-16/