By Abiola Olawale
Two United States governors have begun moves to secure billions in refunds for their states following a landmark Supreme Court decision.
On Friday, February 20, 2026, the Court ruled 6-3 in Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump that the administration’s sweeping use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to impose global tariffs was unconstitutional.
The ruling has sparked an immediate political and economic firestorm, with state leaders demanding the return of an estimated $133 billion to $175 billion in “unlawfully collected” duties.
State executives, led by California Governor Gavin Newsom and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, have wasted no time in positioning themselves as the primary advocates for consumers and businesses.
Governor Pritzker sent US President Donald Trump an invoice Friday demanding nearly $9 billion in tariff refunds for Illinois families after the US Supreme Court ruled the president’s much-touted levies are illegal.
Pritzker urged the White House to “cut the check” after justices ruled 6-3 that Trump had exceeded his authority by invoking emergency powers to impose tariffs that reshaped global trade and pushed up prices at home.
“Your tariff taxes wreaked havoc on farmers, enraged our allies and sent grocery prices through the roof,” the Democrat wrote, warning further legal action could follow if compensation was not forthcoming.
In the letter, shared with US media, Pritzker demanded about $1,700 for every Illinois household — the amount Yale University experts said the average US household would pay on tariffs last year.
Also, California Governor Newsom said the money Trump’s tariffs had raised came from US voters’ pockets — and should be refunded.
“Time to pay the piper, Donald. These tariffs were nothing more than an illegal cash grab that drove up prices and hurt working families, so you could wreck longstanding alliances and extort them,” he said.
“Every dollar unlawfully taken must be refunded immediately — with interest. Cough up!”
