DOJ and Mississippi Seek to Join NAACP Suit Over xAI Data Center Turbines, Citing National Security
The Justice Department and Mississippi filed a motion to intervene in the NAACP's lawsuit against Elon Musk's xAI, arguing the AI model Grok is critical to U.S. national security and should not be halted.
The U.S. Department of Justice and the state of Mississippi have moved to intervene in a lawsuit filed by the NAACP against Elon Musk's artificial-intelligence firm xAI and its subsidiary MZX Tech. The civil-rights group alleges the companies operate 27 natural-gas turbines near Memphis without the required air permits, violating the Clean Air Act and contributing to local pollution.
The turbines power the Colossus 2 data center, which runs xAI’s chatbot model Grok. In a court filing, the DOJ contended that the NAACP’s effort to shut down the turbines threatens "American national, economic, and energy security" by potentially disrupting AI capabilities that support Department of Defense operations.
According to a memo submitted by the Justice Department, Grok is one of a handful of proprietary AI models capable of operating on classified networks and has been used in military applications, including a recent campaign against Iran that involved the deployment of thousands of munitions.
Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves also submitted supporting documents, emphasizing the model’s strategic importance. The NAACP had previously sought an injunction to halt turbine operations pending a court decision, citing health impacts such as asthma and other respiratory illnesses linked to emissions.
"Our right to clean air is not up for negotiation, especially when companies prove expediency, not people, is their priority," NAACP director of environmental and climate justice Abre’ Conner said in a press release.
The Justice Department’s motion asks the court to allow its intervention as a plaintiff and to dismiss the NAACP’s case.
