New York – New York Attorney General Letitia James has won a significant legal victory, ordering the Trump administration to reinstate thousands of illegally fired probationary federal employees by March 17. The decision follows a lawsuit filed by James and a coalition of 19 other state attorneys general challenging the administration’s mass firings as unlawful.
The lawsuit, filed on March 6, claimed that the Trump administration violated federal law by terminating probationary federal employees without first providing written notice to the affected workers and state governments.
The United States District Court for the District of Maryland issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) prohibiting the administration from conducting additional mass firings in violation of federal statutes.
Attorney General James’ Statement
Following the court’s decision, Attorney General James issued a statement emphasizing the importance of federal employees and the damage caused by the administration’s actions:
“Federal employees devote their careers to serving the country. Every day, they go to work to keep our communities safe and to provide health care to those in need. The Trump administration’s illegal mass firings of federal employees are causing devastation and confusion across the country, and they must end.
I applaud this decision, which restores thousands of federal workers’ jobs, and I will continue to fight to protect our federal workforce and the services that New Yorkers rely on from this administration’s chaos.”
Broader Legal Actions by Attorney General James
This victory is part of a broader effort by Attorney General James to defend federal workers and public services against policies enacted by the Trump administration.
- On March 13, she led a coalition of 20 attorneys general in filing a lawsuit to stop the dismantling of the Department of Education, which would have resulted in the firing of nearly half of its workforce.
- On February 11, James joined 20 other attorneys general in an amicus brief supporting federal employees who were challenging the Trump administration’s misleading federal “buyout” plan.
- On February 3, she spearheaded a coalition of 11 attorneys general, warning federal employees about deceptive buyout offers.
With the latest court order in place, thousands of terminated workers will regain their jobs, and the administration is barred from executing further mass terminations without due process.
Next Steps
The New York Attorney General’s Office, in collaboration with the coalition of state attorneys general, will continue to monitor compliance with the ruling and take appropriate action if necessary.
For more details, visit the Office of the Attorney General of New York: ag.ny.gov
