SALEM, Ore. (KATU) — Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield spearheaded a multi-state lawsuit aimed at blocking President Donald Trump's tariffs, which he claims are illegal and detrimental to the American economy.

The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. Court of International Trade, challenges four executive orders issued by Trump that authorize increased tariffs on global imports without congressional approval.

Rayfield held a press conference today, Tuesday, discussing the lawsuit with several guests. One of them was Cody Sullivan, the first person experiencing Down Syndrome to graduate from a 4-year university in Oregon. The full event is below:

"When a president pushes an unlawful policy that drives up prices at the grocery store and spikes utility bills, we don’t have the luxury of standing by – especially when so many Oregonians live on fixed incomes," said Rayfield. "These tariffs hit every corner of our lives – from the checkout line to the doctor’s office – and we have a responsibility to push back."

The tariffs in question include a 145% tariff on most products from China, a 25% tariff on products from Canada and Mexico, and 10% tariffs on products from other countries. Additionally, there is a plan to raise tariffs on imports from 46 other trading partners.

Studies suggest that 95% of the tariff costs are borne by Americans, with projections from the Federal Reserve and the International Monetary Fund suggesting that these tariffs will lead to inflation.

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In Oregon, experts estimate that the tariffs will increase the cost of living for the average family by more than $3,800 annually, effectively imposing a sales tax that Oregonians have historically rejected.

Ann Donaca, a personal support worker for her son Cody Sullivan, who has Down Syndrome, expressed the financial strain these tariffs impose. "We are already living hand to mouth and now we are experiencing debt. The life preserver of all the people getting rich through cuts and tariffs is not happening for us. We, the people, are sinking," Donaca said.

Cody is the first person in the state of Oregon who experiences Down Syndrome to graduate from a 4-year university. He has not been able to find a job for a year, according to his mother.

"This is not an uncommon for people with disabilities to take this long to find a job. Unfortunately, right now, it's also not uncommon for everyone else," she said at the press conference with Rayfield.

Pat Hubbell, owner of Brooklyn Pharmacy in Portland, warned of a significant rise in medication costs. "There will be a significant rise in medication costs for pharmacies and patients," Hubbell said. "Families already struggle to afford their prescriptions, and local pharmacies will perish at an even faster rate due to the higher cost of medications. This is devastating."

The executive orders cite the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), which is intended for emergencies posing "unusual and extraordinary threats" from abroad, and does not grant the President tariff-imposing powers.

The lawsuit argues that under Article I of the Constitution, only Congress has the authority to impose taxes and tariffs. No President had imposed tariffs based on IEEPA until President Trump did so this year.

"Yet over the last three months, the President has imposed, modified, escalated, and suspended tariffs by executive order, memoranda, social media post, and agency decree. These edicts reflect a national trade policy that now hinges on the President’s whims rather than the sound exercise of his lawful authority," The court documents say.

"By claiming the authority to impose immense and ever-changing tariffs on whatever goods entering the United States he chooses, for whatever reason he finds convenient to declare an emergency, the President has upended the constitutional order and brought chaos to the American economy."

The case, titled State of Oregon, et al., v. Trump, et al., is led by Rayfield and Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, with support from attorneys general in 11 other states.