The Michigan Department of Attorney General (DAG) works tirelessly to protect and serve the people of Michigan. The DAG handles a wide range of legal matters from civil and criminal cases, to providing legal counsel to state agencies and officers, to advocating for crime victims.
The Michigan Department of Attorney General utilizes the services of Special Assistant Attorneys General from time to time when the unique circumstances of a particular case create the need for specialized services not currently available within the department.
The Michigan Attorney General has determined that a full and complete investigation of what happened within the Catholic Church is required. This investigation is and will continue to be independent, thorough, transparent, and prompt. My department and this investigation will find out who knew what, and when.
The Conviction Integrity Unit (CIU) investigates claims of innocence to determine whether there is clear and convincing new evidence that the convicted defendant was not the person who committed the offense.
In Michigan, a victim is an individual who suffers direct or threatened physical, financial, or emotional harm as a result of the commission of a crime.
Elder abuse happens when someone hurts, ignores, or takes advantage of an older adult. This may be someone who is of advanced age or is vulnerable and unable to protect themselves due to a mental or physical issues.
An expungement is a way to remove past offenses from your public record. Expansions under the “Clean Slate” laws include eligibility for up to three felonies and unlimited misdemeanors, excluding certain assault or weapons offenses and felonies that carry a maximum sentence of life in prison.
To investigate and prosecute hate crimes by following up on every credible tip and offer departmental resources to assist local and federal law enforcement partners in this effort.
The Michigan Attorney General is leading the fight against this horrific crime by prosecuting the state's first-ever criminal cases under state law banning human trafficking in Michigan. Victims of human trafficking are in bondage through force, fraud or coercion, for the purpose of sex or labor exploitation.
Knowing how to guard your personal information is your first line of defense against identity theft.
Michigan workers enjoy a wide variety of legal protections regarding issues at work. There are a number of state and federal statutes that protect their wages, safety, and well-being.
Opioid addiction knows no social or economic barriers; it doesn’t care about race or gender. It claims young and old alike. The Michigan Department of Attorney General is committed to fighting this crisis.
Michigan Attorney General's robocall initiative is leading several efforts to protect Michigan residents from the billion plus robocalls made to them every year.
Michigan's Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), MCL 15.231 et seq, provides that requesters can receive copies or make inspections of most public records of public bodies upon written request.
The Open Meetings Act (OMA) took effect January 1, 1977. In enacting the OMA, the Legislature promoted a new era in governmental accountability and fostered openness in government to enhance responsible decision making.1 Nothing in the OMA prohibits a public body from adopting an ordinance, resolution, rule, or charter provision that requires a greater degree of openness relative to public body meetings than the standards provided for in the OMA. 2
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January 21, 2026
LANSING – Since the Trump administration took office in January 2025, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has taken action to protect the rights, services, and federal funding that Michigan residents depend on. A year following Attorney General Nessel’s first lawsuit against illegal action by the Trump administration, she is highlighting the actions the Department of Attorney General has taken to defend Michiganders from unlawful federal policies and preserve the rule of law.
Attorney General Nessel has filed 45 lawsuits challenging illegal federal actions and recouped more than $2.2 billion in Michigan taxpayer money. Through this litigation, her office has secured dozens of injunctions, including 22 current injunctions, eight full victories through court orders, and three additional victories achieved when the federal government withdrew or reversed unlawful policies following challenges. These cases span a wide range of critical issues and have protected Michigan residents from the dismantlement of essential services, the misuse of public funds, the erosion of privacy, and violations of constitutional rights.
"I am proud of the work my office and Democratic attorneys general across the country have done to protect our residents, our states and this nation from unlawful federal actions," Nessel said. "These harms were prevented through fast, organized action, and I will continue to defend Michiganders and bring back taxpayer dollars owed to our state."
Attorney General Nessel has fought aggressively to protect taxpayer dollars. Through numerous lawsuits, her office has ensured that billions in congressionally authorized funding continue to flow to Michigan without termination or unlawful conditions. These efforts have preserved funding for disaster relief, public health, education, infrastructure, mental health resources for students, resources that prevent homelessness and services for crime victims. Other actions protected wind energy projects and blocked the administration from illegally withholding funding for federal agency grants, loans, and other financial assistance programs.
The Attorney General has joined multistate coalitions to halt attempts to gut or unlawfully restructure agencies that provide essential services to Michigan communities. This includes lawsuits to block mass firings and restructuring within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which threatened public health programs and services relied upon by families across the state. When AmeriCorps was unlawfully slashed, Attorney General Nessel sued to restore service programs and grants that support thousands of volunteer efforts that provide health services, academic support, and crime reduction services. In each instance, courts intervened to stop the federal actions that violated the rule of law. Attorney General Nessel is also working to stop the complete defunding of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
The Attorney General has also filed lawsuits against attempts by the federal government to force states to surrender citizens’ personal data as a condition of funding or compliance. Attorney General Nessel’s actions protected the personal information of Michigan residents and preserved the state’s ability to administer programs without unlawful federal intrusion, including Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. The Department of Attorney General has additionally fought federal actions that violate constitutional rights, including attempts to exclude certain newborns from birthright citizenship, impose sweeping illegal voting restrictions nationwide, and eliminate access to transgender care for young people.
Attorney General Nessel has further been successful in challenging the Trump administration’s efforts to wage war on information and knowledge. Through these lawsuits the Attorney General has restored statewide library services, halted the federal government from slashing billions of dollars in medical research funding, blocked funding caps that would have slashed support for vital state-run energy programs, and recouped funding for teen reproductive and sexual health education programs.
A video of a media avail with Attorney General Nessel, Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul and Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul recognizing the one-year anniversary of the first attorneys general multistate lawsuit during President Donald Trump's second term will be available on the Department’s YouTube channel.
To help Michiganders stay informed, the Department created the Federal Actions Tracker. The tracker provides up-to-date information on the Attorney General's legal actions in response to several unlawful federal policies and orders.
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