The Justice Department filed a brief urging a federal judge to toss the NAACP’s Clean Air Act suit against Elon Musk’s x AI Corp. and its subsidiary MZX Tech. The civil action, filed in April, alleges the companies run 27 gas turbines at a Mississippi data center without permits, a number the plaintiffs say has since swelled to 57 and could affect the rollout of AI services nationwide.

Mississippi’s environmental agency ruled the turbines exempt from state permits, a stance the DOJ now cites as justification. Residents have complained of noise and air‑quality impacts, while the NAACP argues the unpermitted plants threaten local health. The turbines feed the Grok AI system that powers the chatbot used in military operations, according to the filing.

The government frames the case as a national‑security issue, claiming that Grok enabled the Department of War’s “Grok Gov Model” to coordinate thousands of munitions during Operation Epic Fury. Environmental groups, led by the Southern Environmental Law Center, counter that allowing illegal emissions sets a dangerous precedent. The judge’s decision will test how far the administration will shield corporate compliance violations.