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Trump administration sued by 20 states for firing federal workers illegally
The states joining in with Maryland include Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, and Michigan, among others.
Twenty states are taking several federal agencies to court over the Donald Trump administration’s move to fire several thousand federal probationary workers, saying that the move is illegal.
Maryland is leading the charge with 19 other states, with the state Attorney General Anthony Brown leading the coalition of attorneys general in the federal lawsuit that was filed late Thursday in Maryland, Associated Press reported.
The state estimates about 10 percent of households receive wages from the federal government.
“The draconian actions of the Trump-Vance Administration could lead to tens of thousands of jobs lost, hundreds of thousands of lives disrupted, and the cratering of tens of millions of dollars in income here in Maryland,” Maryland’s Democrat governor Wes Moore said Friday in support of the complaint.
The other states that have joined the lawsuit are Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Wisconsin. The District of Columbia also is a plaintiff.
Brown also moved on Friday for a temporary restraining order in federal court in Maryland to stop further firings of federal probationary employees and reinstate those who have already been dismissed.
A statement from attorney general Brown’s office said that the mass firings will cause irreparable burdens and expenses on the states, the lawsuit said, because states will have to support recently unemployed workers and review and adjudicate claims of unemployment assistance. According to the statement, more than 800 fired federal workers in Maryland already have applied for unemployment benefits.
The lawsuit also contended that the layoffs would hurt state finances due to lost tax revenue.
“President Trump’s unlawful mass firings of federal workers are a blatant attack on the civil service, throwing thousands of hardworking families into financial turmoil. Instead of following the law and notifying states, his administration blindsided Maryland, forcing us to deal with the devastating economic fallout and social consequences," AP quoted Governor Brown as saying.
Donald Trump’s federal workers layoffs
US President Donald Trump has been downsizing the federal workforce, saying he’s targeting fraud, waste, and abuse in a bloated government. Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency has fired both new and career workers, telling agency leaders to plan for “large-scale reductions in force.”
The purge has spawned several lawsuits as unions and attorneys general have challenged DOGE's authority.
Probationary workers have been targeted for layoffs across the federal government because they’re usually new to the job and lack full civil service protection.
While federal agencies claimed the employees were fired for unsatisfactory performance or conduct, the lawsuit said the firings were part of the administration’s attempt to restructure and downsize the entire government.
That means the administration was required to follow federal laws and regulations that govern large-scale federal reductions in force, the lawsuit said. For example, regulations require that government agencies consider an employee’s tenure, performance, and veteran status when making termination decisions, the attorneys said. Regulations also typically require 60 days’ advance notice of termination in a reduction in force.
“This has inflicted and will continue to inflict serious and irreparable harms on the Plaintiff States, as they must now deal with a sudden surge in unemployment, without the advance notice required under the federal (reduction in force) statute and regulations,” the lawsuit said.
The attorneys general are asking for the court to reinstate the fired employees and stop further terminations of federal employees.
