WASHINGTON — The Colorado attorney general sued the Trump administration Wednesday for relocating the U.S. Space Command headquarters to Alabama.
The lawsuit filed in federal court in Denver is based on President Donald Trump’s comments tying Colorado’s mail-in voting practices to his decision to move the headquarters from Colorado Springs to Huntsville. Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser called the move “unconstitutional.”
“The Constitution does not permit the Executive Branch to punish or retaliate against states for lawfully exercising powers reserved for them, such as the power to regulate elections,” Weiser said in a statement.
“If we don’t take a stand now against this unconstitutional and unlawful decision, Colorado and other states that use mail-in voting will face further pressure or punishment unless they give up their constitutional authority.”
When Trump announced Space Command’s relocation in September, he said the state’s mail-in voting “played a big factor” in his decision to move the headquarters.
“The problem I have with Colorado, one of the big problems, they do mail-in voting,” Trump said during the Space Command announcement at the White House. “So they have automatically crooked elections, and we can’t have that.”
Colorado has not had “a shred of evidence” of voter fraud since mail-in voting began in the state in 2013, the lawsuit reads.
Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall called the lawsuit a “partisan attempt to overturn a lawful, evidence-based decision.”
“If Colorado insists on fighting a political battle in federal court, Alabama will meet them there, and win,” Marshall said in a written statement. “Our focus remains on supporting our service members, strengthening national defense and ensuring Space Command’s continued success in Huntsville.”
Trump announced his plan to move the headquarters last month after a years-long battle over where it should be permanently located between the two states. In 2023, President Joe Biden announced Space Command would remain in Colorado, citing military readiness, after reports showed Huntsville ranked as the No. 1 choice.
The lawsuit also states that the Trump administration did not properly provide advanced notice to congressional armed services committees, informing them of the decision to relocate.
U.S. Rep. Dale Strong, R-Huntsville, said Colorado’s lawsuit is the state’s “latest attempt to obstruct the fair process from proceeding.”
“I remain confident that the USSPACECOM headquarters belongs in Huntsville, Alabama, because it is what is best for national security and will save the taxpayer nearly half a billion dollars,” he said on social media.
U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., who is running for governor, put his thoughts in simple terms.
“Good luck with that,” he said.
Rep. Robert Aderholt, R-Haleyville, also chimed in Wednesday, saying in a post on X that Huntsville was chosen based on “merit,” which is “something this lawsuit in my opinion is completely lacking.”
Colorado is also asking the court to block the administration from taking any steps to implement the move.
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