"This is one of the reasons why states have got to get to court and take on Donald Trump," Gov. Maura Healey said Tuesday.

Massachusetts is expected to join in legal action as President Trump's administration begins a review of spending that could freeze trillions of government dollars.

Democratic attorneys general from states including New York, California, Illinois, New Jersey, Rhode Island and Massachusetts are moving to keep funds flowing to state governments and cities.

The funding freeze "violates the separation of powers," Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell said, as a colleague from California called it "arbitrary and capricious."

A White House directive to pause federal grants and loans has raised uncertainty for many universities, states and nonprofit organizations

A coalition of states, including New York, California, Illinois, New Jersey, Rhode Island and Massachusetts, are expected to file the challenge later on Tuesday in the Southern District of New York.

Massachusetts is joining in legal action as President Trump's administration begins a review of spending that could freeze trillions of government dollars.

A White House memo set off a flurry of panic across nonprofit groups, who said they were unable to access federal government systems used to withdraw funds.