Trump administration sues to block Evanston's Black reparations program
The Justice Department has joined a lawsuit challenging Evanston, Illinois' $25,000 reparations grants for Black residents, arguing the program violates the Constitution's equal-protection clause.
Evanston, Illinois, became the first U.S. city to offer reparations to Black residents, providing $25,000 grants to more than 300 individuals who lived there during the era of enforced housing segregation. The money, drawn from $20 million in cannabis and real-estate transfer taxes, is meant to help rebuild wealth and acknowledge the city’s role in past discriminatory zoning. The Justice Department, aligning with the conservative group Judicial Watch, has entered a federal lawsuit asserting that the program breaches the Constitution’s equal-protection guarantee because it limits benefits to Black applicants.
Critics say the plan lacks proof of individual discrimination, while supporters argue it directly addresses documented municipal policies that suppressed Black homeownership. Mayor Daniel Biss and program architect Robin Rue Simmons maintain the effort is a necessary correction of historic harms. The legal challenge could set a precedent for other municipalities considering similar reparations schemes.
Why it matters
The case could determine whether local governments can use race-based reparations to address historic discrimination.
In this story
