Federal judge dismisses DOJ suit seeking to block Hawaii climate lawsuit against oil companies

U.S. District Judge Helen Gillmor dismissed with prejudice on April 16, 2026, a Department of Justice lawsuit that sought to prevent Hawaii from pursuing its state court climate case against Sunoco, ExxonMobil, Chevron, BP, Shell, and other fossil fuel companies. Judge Gillmor ruled that the United States lacked standing to sue based on hypothetical future harms and that the federal government could not interfere with ongoing state judicial proceedings under the Younger abstention doctrine. The ruling was the second time in 2026 that a federal judge blocked DOJ attempts to suppress state climate litigation.