Lawsuit challenges Trump rule stripping habitat protections for endangered wildlife

MASS LIVE • July 15, 2026

Conservation groups on Tuesday sued the Trump administration over its decision to strip endangered species of protections in places where they live, according to the Conservation Law Foundation (CLF). The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service repealed their regulatory definitions of “harm” under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) last week. CLF called the move “illegal” because it is harming species through habitat destruction, which is prohibited by the ESA’s statutory language.