green mansour argued october decided december petitioner recipients benefits federal aid families dependent children afdc program brought class actions federal district respondent director michigan department social services claimed respondent policies prohibiting deduction child care costs requiring inclusion stepparents income purposes calculating earned income thereby determining eligibility amount afdc benefits violated applicable federal law petitioners sought injunction declaratory judgment notice relief actions pending congress amended relevant federal statute expressly require deduct child care expenses include stepparents income granting respondent motions dismiss case district held changes federal law rendered moot claims prospective relief remaining claims declaratory notice relief related solely past violations federal law retrospective relief barred eleventh amendment appeals affirmed consolidated appeal held petitioners entitled notice relief since continuing violation federal law enjoin therefore valid injunction notice attach notice justified mere device ancillary judgment awarding valid prospective relief quern jordan distinguished absent conditions eleventh amendment limitation art iii power federal courts prevents ordering notice relief type remedy designed prevent ongoing violations federal law pp petitioners entitled declaratory judgment respondent violated federal law past claimed continuing violation federal law threat future violation declaratory judgment inappropriate purpose provide federal judgment issue liability hope res judicata proceedings leaving state courts form accounting proceeding whereby damages restitution computed inappropriate exercise federal judicial power much effect award damages restitution kinds relief prohibited eleventh amendment pp rehnquist delivered opinion burger white powell joined brennan filed dissenting opinion marshall blackmun stevens joined post marshall filed dissenting opinion brennan stevens joined post blackmun filed dissenting opinion brennan marshall stevens joined post william burnham argued cause petitioners briefs paul reingold louis caruso solicitor general michigan argued cause respondent brief thomas casey erica weiss marsden robert rosenberg assistant attorneys general justice rehnquist delivered opinion petitioners brought two separate class actions district eastern district michigan respondent director michigan department social services claiming respondent calculations benefits federal aid families dependent children afdc program violated certain provisions federal law final determination merits either case made congress amended relevant statutory provisions undisputed respondent calculations thereafter conformed federal law notwithstanding fact petitioners claim entitled district award notice relief declaration respondent prior conduct violated federal law district denied petitioners forms relief appeals sixth circuit affirmed affirm judgment appeals holding eleventh amendment constitution applicable principles governing issuance declaratory judgments forbid award either form relief two class actions involved case brought behalf recipients benefits disbursed afdc program see afdc program uses person earned income determining eligibility amount benefits see complaints alleged certain respondent policies regulations violated inflating respective class members earned income thereby causing reduction termination afdc benefits contrary applicable federal law one putative class challenged respondent policy prohibiting deduction child care costs calculation earned income case pending district congress changed relevant provisions afdc program expressly require participating deduct child care expenses specified amount respondent thereafter brought state policy compliance amendment began deducting child care expenses calculation earned income claim respondent current child care deduction policy violates federal law putative class challenged respondent policy automatically including stepparents income calculation earned income district issued preliminary injunction preventing respondent enforcing automatic inclusion policy matter pending merits congress amended relevant section afdc program expressly require include stepparent income calculation earned income parties thereafter stipulated district terminate preliminary injunction effective date amendment claim respondent complied federal law since time district granted respondent motions dismiss case held changes federal law rendered moot claims prospective relief remaining claims declaratory notice relief related solely past violations federal law retrospective relief determined barred eleventh amendment appeals affirmed consolidated appeal banas dempsey agreed changes federal law rendered moot claims prospective relief also agreed notice declaratory relief retrospective nature relief barred edelman jordan reasoned prospective relief notice ancillary even notice sort approved quern jordan escape eleventh amendment bar declaratory relief similarly barred circumstances explained relief relate solely past violations federal law granted certiorari resolve conflict circuits whether federal courts may order giving notice sort approved quern jordan supra issue declaratory judgment state officials violated federal law past ongoing violation federal law decision appeals case agrees result colbeth wilson supp aff per curiam conflicts decisions appleyard wallace randall lukhard en banc cert denied beltran myers per curiam cert denied silva vowell allowed notice relief even though changes state policy federal law rendered moot claim injunctive relief stopping ongoing violations federal law affirm decision appeals eleventh amendment confirms fundamental principle sovereign immunity limits grant judicial authority art iii pennhurst state school hospital halderman eleventh amendment may sued federal unless consent unequivocal terms unless congress pursuant valid exercise power unequivocally expresses intent abrogate immunity landmark case ex parte young created exception general principle asserting suit challenging constitutionality state official action enforcing state law one state theory young unconstitutional statute void therefore impart official immunity responsibility authority young also held eleventh amendment prevent federal courts granting prospective injunctive relief prevent continuing violation federal law refused extend reasoning young however claims retrospective relief see pennhurst supra quern jordan supra edelman jordan supra prospective retrospective relief implicate eleventh amendment concerns availability prospective relief sort awarded ex parte young gives life supremacy clause remedies designed end continuing violation federal law necessary vindicate federal interest assuring supremacy law see pennhurst supra see also milliken bradley compensatory deterrence interests insufficient overcome dictates eleventh amendment petitioners concede claim might specific type injunctive relief approved ex parte young rendered moot amendments afdc program nevertheless seek notice relief type approved quern jordan arguing notice independent form prospective relief protected eleventh amendment bar ex parte young taking position think petitioners misconceive eleventh amendment jurisprudence decision quern quern last chapter litigation initially gave rise edelman jordan supra plaintiffs litigation challenged state administration program aid aged blind disabled aabd district issued declaratory judgment current state regulations governing administration program violated federal regulations effect therefore permanently enjoined state officials continuing violate federal law although language declaratory judgment broader necessary complement injunction current violation federal law implied defendants violated federal law past district therefore issued second injunction ordering defendants release remit aabd benefits wrongfully withheld account past violations federal law appeals affirmed jordan weaver reversed holding eleventh amendment barred injunction ordering retroactive benefits effectively award money damages past violations federal law edelman jordan remand district ordered defendants send notice plaintiff class informing individual class members wrongfully denied benefits particular amount together returnable form filing claims appropriate state agency appeals reversed holding district proposed notice violated eleventh amendment effectively result federal adjudication state liability past violations federal law jordan trainor en banc time appeals determined eleventh amendment bar order requiring state officials send mere explanatory notice applicants advising state administrative procedure available desire state determine whether may eligible past benefits ibid affirmed quern jordan holding although edelman jordan supra retained continuing vitality monell new york city dept social services see specific notice order approved appeals violate eleventh amendment explained appellate particular notice order fell ex parte young side eleventh amendment line rather edelman side reasoned unlike notice ordered district notice properly viewed ancillary prospective relief already ordered simply infor class members federal suit end federal provide relief existing state administrative procedures may wish pursue ibid also stressed state defendants objected expense providing notice state agencies rather federal courts final arbiters whether retroactive payments ordered notice automatically lead particular action review long jordan litigation convinces us neither appeals conceived requested notice allowed case independent form relief simply held specific order fell within ex parte young exception eleventh amendment principle sovereign immunity ancillary valid injunction previously granted sufficiently narrow retain character mere device notice quern jordan nothing inform diverse partially victorious class concerning extent judgment favor cf fed rule civ proc federal courts suggestion notice bind state officials way notice routinely available form relief cases notice relief type remedy designed prevent ongoing violations federal law eleventh amendment limitation art iii power federal courts prevents ordering independent form relief measured standards quern however request limited notice order escape eleventh amendment bar notice ancillary grant appropriate relief noticed continuing violation federal law enjoin case injunction available therefore notice justified mere device ancillary judgment awarding valid prospective relief petitioners argue however entitled declaratory judgment respondent violated federal law past petitioners correct assertion properly claim right notice judgment principles quern declaratory judgment act permits federal declare rights party whether relief sought held act declaratory relief may available even though injunction steffel thompson also held declaratory judgment statute enabling act confers discretion courts rather absolute right upon litigant public service wycoff propriety issuing declaratory judgment may depend upon equitable considerations see samuels mackell also informed teachings experience concerning functions extent federal judicial power wycoff supra cf younger harris applying principles held declaratory judgment available number instances great lakes huffman held declaratory judgment available obtain determination constitutionality state tax even though relevant federal statute prohibited federal courts issuing injunctions collection taxes held samuels mackell supra declaratory judgment declaring state criminal statute unconstitutional unavailable much effect injunction prohibiting enforcement statute latter barred traditional principles equity comity federalism wycoff held inappropriate issue declaratory judgment deciding whether plaintiff business interstate commerce therefore potentially immune state regulation reasoned federal judgment res judicata subsequent state proceedings federal lifted case state state agency hear hand federal judgment effect serv useful purpose final determination rights ibid think cases demonstrate impropriety issuance declaratory judgment case claimed continuing violation federal law therefore occasion issue injunction threat state officials violating repealed law future cf steffel thompson supra dispute lawfulness respondent past actions eleventh amendment prohibit award money damages restitution dispute resolved favor petitioners think award declaratory judgment situation useful resolving dispute past lawfulness respondent action might offered proceedings res judicata issue liability leaving state courts form accounting proceeding whereby damages restitution computed issuance declaratory judgment circumstances much effect award damages restitution federal latter kinds relief course prohibited eleventh amendment teachings huffman samuels wycoff declaratory judgment available result partial end run around decision edelman jordan justice brennan dissent contends injunction declaratory judgment quern implied past violations federal law declaratory judgments expressly adjudicating question past violations routinely available think mistaken district injunction declaratory judgment continuing future violations federal law quern implied similar violations occurred past neither state federal policy varied time judgment contrast present violations amended statute even injunction imply past practice violated repealed federal law thus declaratory judgment respondent violated federal law past stand feet appropriate exercise federal jurisdiction case reasons previously stated hold district correct concluding neither notice proposed petitioners declaratory judgment issued case type judgment appeals therefore affirmed footnotes illinois categorical assistance manual section subsections thereunder applied applicants aabd invalid insofar inconsistent requirements federal law construed paragraphs jordan weaver nd mar emphasis added course petitioners make claim federal declaratory judgment res judicata later commenced state proceedings declaratory judgment serve purpose whatever resolving remaining dispute parties unavailable reason wycoff justice brennan justice marshall justice blackmun justice stevens join dissenting last term dissent atascadero state hospital scanlon explained length view eleventh amendment doctrine lacks textual anchor constitution firm historical foundation clear rationale today decision demonstrates absence stable analytical structure underlying eleventh amendment jurisprudence produces inconsistent decisions quern jordan state illinois contended notice relief ordered appeals identical significant respects requested instant case offended eleventh amendment giving proposed notice lead inexorably payment state funds retroactive benefits therefore effect amounts monetary award justice rehnquist writing rejected argument chain causation petitioner seeks establish means unbroken contains numerous missing links supplied state members plaintiff class federal notice approved appeals simply apprises plaintiff class members existence whatever administrative procedures may already available state law may receive determination eligibility past benefits mere sending notice trigger state administrative machinery whether recipient notice decides take advantage available state procedures left completely discretion particular class member federal plays role decision whether class member receive retroactive benefits rests entirely state agencies courts legislature federal award declaratory judgment situation useful resolving dispute past lawfulness respondent action might offered proceedings res judicata issue liability leaving state courts form accounting proceeding whereby damages restitution computed issuance declaratory judgment circumstances much effect award damages restitution federal latter kinds relief prohibited eleventh amendment ante way explication retreats position federal courts may grant relief prospectively ongoing future violations federal law retroactively past violations federal law basically admits case balancing eleventh amendment supremacy clause ante relief sought continuing violations finds supremacy clause outweighs eleventh amendment relief requested past violations determines eleventh amendment outweighs supremacy clause cites constitutional authority balancing test offered suspect offer satisfactory analytical foundation furthermore strenuously disagree suggestion balance struck sufficiently protects supremacy federal law may true availability prospective relief sort awarded ex parte young gives puts life supremacy clause ante rule saves clause completely moribund however alter reality insufficient ensure federal law paramount day forward least regard welfare programs may refuse follow federal law impunity secure knowledge need immunize accountability federal courts conform policies federal law eve judgment suit brought secure prospective injunctive relief period noncompliance save money paying benefits according criteria established federal law needy individuals designated congress beneficiaries welfare programs cheated federal rights doctrine require federal courts protect violate federal law legal consequences conduct atascadero surely supremacy clause requires different result foregoing reveals fundamental incoherence eleventh amendment jurisprudence develop coherent eleventh amendment doctrine believe must reassess long line precedents beginning hans louisiana culminating today decision perpetuated erroneous interpretation eleventh amendment demonstrated atascadero supra constitutional doctrine sovereign immunity rests mistaken historical premise treated subject exhaustively case restate conclusions recent scholarship indicates framers never intended constitutionalize doctrine state sovereign immunity consequently eleventh amendment effort reestablish chisholm georgia dall limitation federal judicial power contained article iii given limited terms context eleventh amendment drafted amendment narrow technical language understood instituted broad new limitation federal judicial power cases arising federal law whenever individual attempts sue state atascadero rather historical records language constitution reveal amendment intended simply remove jurisdiction suits state basis jurisdiction plaintiff citizen another state alien suits result abrogation state law sovereign immunity causes action disputes instant case citizens state federal question source jurisdiction eleventh amendment properly construed bar petitioners suits respectfully dissent green asked district order notices sent afdc recipients advising outcome litigation declaratory judgment telling state administrative proceedings might available obtain retroactive benefits app similarly notice approved quern jordan inform ed class members federal suit end federal provide relief existing state administrative procedures may wish pursue class members given gathered sitting courtroom quoting jordan trainor course class members gathered sitting courtroom substantive outcome litigation declaration illinois officials violated federal law enough distinguish cases observe notice relief quern ancillary prospective injunction prospective injunction moot three years appeals fashioned notice relief five years approved congress abolished federal program issue quern afdc matching benefits program pay percent benefit payments federal government pays remainder house committee ways means background material data programs within jurisdiction committee ways means comm print justice marshall justice brennan justice stevens join dissenting concur justice brennan justice blackmun dissents contribute proliferation opinions add words even view eleventh amendment accepted majority atascadero state hospital scanlon majority reaches incorrect result case justice brennan opinion cogently explains decision majority today repudiates quern jordan case approve notice relief mere device ante majority suggest informing class members state administrative procedures serves function litigation rather quern explicitly posing question whether modified notice contemplated seventh circuit constitute permissible prospective relief retroactive award requires payment funds state treasury concluded relief falls ex parte young side eleventh amendment line rather edelman side quern supra ii abandoning result reached six years ago majority misapplies eleventh amendment jurisprudence majority two kinds remedies sought state officer prospective relief designed end continuing violation federal law retrospective relief serving mere compensatory deterrence interests ante former class relief concludes federal interests involved outweigh eleventh amendment interests implicated suit state officer official capacity prospective retrospective labels however irrelevant analysis case notice relief issue imposes significant costs state creates direct liabilities state respects institutions state government see quern supra never held eleventh amendment poses bar relief indeed notice availability possible relief existing state administrative remedies state agency state courts sole arbiters relief granted assists vindication state law informing class members may causes action law eleventh amendment balance set majority opinion thus hard see weight exists state side scale weight overcome interest vindicating federal law hold whether eleventh amendment intended simply provide state sued federal basis jurisdiction plaintiff citizen another state alien believe intended constitutionalize much broader principle state sovereign immunity majority believes simply nothing offensive amendment order state notify class members possibility may entitled relief state administrative process order neither imposes significant costs state creates direct liabilities quern properly placed ex parte young side eleventh amendment line distinction hardly neat majority implies majority cites milliken bradley exemplifying permissible injunctive relief ante case involved continuing federal duty remedy effects past de jure segregation upheld eleventh amendment attack order state officials pay costs attributable program designed restore schoolchildren detroit position enjoyed absent constitutional violations state local officials characterizing relief prospectiv compensatory yet petitioners note congress imposed state agencies continuing federal duty take necessary steps correct underpayment aid state plan see also cfr relief case might therefore described related continuing federal duty part plan operates prospectively bring delayed benefits constitutionally administered program milliken supra emphasis original justice blackmun justice brennan justice marshall justice stevens join dissenting joined justice brennan dissent atascadero state hospital scanlon join dissent case fully agree eleventh amendment approach demonstrated difference result case quern jordan sterile produces inconsistent decisions serious need reconsideration cf garcia san antonio metropolitan transit authority also reverse judgment appeals case additional reason expressed dissent joined justices brennan marshall stevens atascadero namely waiver michigan willing recipient federal funds eleventh amendment barrier otherwise might exist state easily avoids responsibilities decision today allows state go way unimpeded unburdened remedy wronged period michigan noncompliance federal law