Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, along with 19 other states, has filed a lawsuit against federal agencies alleging that the Trump administration illegally fired thousands of federal probationary workers. The lawsuit, led by Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown, was filed in Maryland, where approximately 10% of households receive federal government wages. Ellison stated that Trump’s mass firings have been cruel, chaotic, and harmful, leading to irreparable burdens and expenses on states who will have to support unemployed workers and manage claims for unemployment assistance.
The lawsuit argues that the layoffs will adversely impact state finances due to lost tax revenue and that the practice violates federal laws governing reductions in force. Trump has defended the firings as an attempt to target fraud, waste, and abuse, sparking multiple legal challenges from unions and attorneys general.
Probationary workers across federal agencies have been targeted for layoffs due to their lack of full civil service protection. While agencies claimed the firings were based on performance or conduct, the lawsuit contends they were part of an effort to restructure and downsize the government without following required federal laws and regulations.
The lawsuit seeks to declare the mass firing of probationary employees illegal, reinstate unlawfully terminated workers, halt further similar terminations, and identify affected employees. The other states joining in the lawsuit include Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia.
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