A coalition of universities has filed a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s plan to dismantle the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), alleging that the move is part of a retaliatory campaign against Colorado for political disagreements with Governor Jared Polis, putting critical climate science and national security at risk.
The Trump administration announced in December 2025 its intent to break up the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), the nation’s largest federal climate research center as reported by NBC News. Now, the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR), a nonprofit consortium of universities that operates NCAR, is fighting back with a lawsuit filed on March 16, 2026, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado.
NCAR, headquartered in Boulder, is the country’s premier institute for weather modeling and climate science. Its powerful supercomputers enable research that underpins hurricane forecasting, wildfire monitoring, space weather prediction, and climate adaptation strategies, directly safeguarding public safety and economic stability across the United States.
The lawsuit, which cites the official UCAR complaint per the official complaint, alleges that the dismantling is not a bureaucratic restructuring but a “widespread and coordinated campaign of punishment and coercion” against the state of Colorado.
The genesis of this conflict traces to President Donald Trump’s ongoing feud with Colorado Governor Jared Polis. Trump has pressed Polis on two key issues: Colorado’s use of mail-in voting and the prosecution of Tina Peters, a former county clerk convicted on state charges of tampering with election equipment in the 2020 presidential election as detailed by NBC News. According to the lawsuit, Trump demanded that Polis release Peters and ban mail-in voting; when Polis refused, the administration allegedly initiated a multi-agency retaliation.
This alleged campaign against Colorado extends into other federal actions. The state has separately sued over the administration’s decision to relocate U.S. Space Command from Colorado Springs, the abrupt termination of $109 million in transportation infrastructure funds, and the imposition of new, stringent requirements on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). In a significant ruling, a district judge issued a preliminary injunction against the SNAP changes, finding in favor of the state in a court order.
Targeting NCAR specifically, the lawsuit outlines a systematic squeeze by federal agencies including the National Science Foundation (NSF), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce Department, and Office of Management and Budget. Actions cited include issuing “gag orders” that bar NCAR scientists from public communication, cancelling multimillion-dollar grants for climate adaptation research, imposing onerous reporting demands, and planning to transfer NCAR’s Wyoming-based supercomputing facility out of UCAR’s management. An NSF public notice in January signaled intent to restructure NCAR and solicit proposals for alternative uses of its Boulder campus as documented by NSF. The complaint asserts, “The Agencies’ ultimate apparent goal is to destroy NCAR entirely.”
NCAR’s operational disruption carries immediate stakes. Its workforce of approximately 1,400 scientists, engineers, and support staff drives innovations in forecasting extreme weather and climate change impacts. Without its supercomputing capacity, research delays could weaken disaster response, agricultural planning, and military readiness. UCAR emphasized that the administration’s actions “pose a direct threat to national security, public safety, and economic prosperity and risk setting back the country’s global leadership in weather and space weather modeling and forecasting” in its official statement.
Legally, the suit claims violations of the Administrative Procedure Act, arguing the agencies acted arbitrarily and without lawful authority. It demands the court block the supercomputing facility transfer, reinstate the cancelled NOAA grant, and cease other dismantling efforts. The case joins a broader legal defense of Colorado against what the state characterizes as politically motivated federal punitive measures.
This lawsuit transcends a single research lab; it tests the boundaries of political influence over scientific institutions. If the administration prevails, the precedent could enable similar attacks on federal entities that clash with political agendas, eroding the nonpartisan expertise essential for national resilience. Conversely, a win for UCAR would reaffirm that federal resources cannot be weaponized for personal political scores.
As the court proceedings begin, the future of NCAR—and America’s capacity to model climate and weather threats—depends on this legal showdown. The outcome will signal whether science can remain independent in an era of heightened political polarization.
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