The Trump administration has asked a federal judge to toss a civil suit the NAACP filed in April against xAI and its subsidiary MZX Tech, arguing the federal government should be permitted to intervene and end the litigation.
According to a court filing submitted on Monday, the Department of Justice requested leave to intervene in the Mississippi case and sought dismissal of the NAACP's Clean Air Act claims. The civil rights group accuses xAI of permitting and emissions violations connected to gas-powered turbines that supply electricity to the company's AI data centers.
The NAACP has asked the court for relief that would bar xAI from operating the turbines that power its data centers. In response, the Justice Department's filing asserts that the Clean Air Act vests the federal government with significant enforcement powers, including authority to terminate citizen suits that pursue penalties on the government's behalf.
The document was filed under the direction of Justice Department appointee Stanley Woodward. It also states that Mississippi state regulators have opted not to bring enforcement actions against xAI.
In its submission, the administration told the court that the remedies the NAACP seeks - civil monetary penalties and an injunction halting turbine operations - would carry risks to national security and to economic interests. The filing asks the judge to allow the United States to step into the case and to dismiss the private Clean Air Act action.
The filing frames the government's role under the Clean Air Act as encompassing broad discretion to manage enforcement priorities and to shield federal interests in matters where private suits seek penalties on the government's behalf. Beyond reiterating the NAACP's claims about permitting and emissions, the court filing emphasizes the absence of state enforcement and the administration's view on potential national security and economic consequences from the requested injunction.
Summary
The Justice Department has moved to intervene and dismiss a Clean Air Act lawsuit the NAACP filed in April against xAI and its subsidiary MZX Tech over emissions and permitting tied to gas-powered turbines at AI data centers. The filing, submitted on Monday under the direction of Stanley Woodward, says federal law grants the government authority to end citizen suits seeking penalties on its behalf and notes Mississippi regulators have not pursued enforcement. The administration also told the court that the NAACP's requested penalties and an injunction could pose national security and economic risks.