Maryland sues to halt mass firings of probationary federal workers

Yahoo

07-03-2025

Maryland filed suit Thursday against a host of U.S. government agencies accusing the Trump administration of illegally laying off federal probationary workers.
The state joined a coalition of 20 attorneys general from 19 states and the District of Columbia seeking to halt the dismissal of tens of thousands of federal employees as part of President Donald Trump's efforts to eliminate various pillars of the federal government and significantly reduce its workforce.
'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,' Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown said in a news release announcing the lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court. 'Instead of following the law and notifying states, his administration blindsided Maryland, forcing us to deal with the devastating economic fallout and social consequences.'
Probationary federal employees are either new hires or those who have been promoted to a new position or a new agency, Brown said in a news release. He called the firings unlawful and said they would create a burden on states, which could see increased unemployment claims, greater demands for social services and reduced tax revenue.
The lawsuit accuses the Trump administration of failing to follow federal regulations for mass firings or reductions in force (RIFs).
Although the probationary workers were sent termination letters that said they were fired for unsatisfactory performance or conduct, the state attorneys general claim the dismissals were part of a restructuring or downsizing effort. The rules for such layoffs require at least 60 days notice to state governments.
Brown said the federal agencies named in the lawsuit, including the U.S. Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education and Health and Human Services, did not provide any advance notice of the firings to Maryland, 'causing significant injury and burden on the state as it scrambles to respond to the sudden mass layoffs of its residents.'
He said the Trump administration has fired roughly 23,000 probationary employees over the past three weeks. Some 800 terminiated federal employees in Maryland have already filed for unemployment benefits, he said.
'These indiscriminate firings don't just jeopardize people's livelihoods, they're also a serious threat to our state,' Brown said in a video accompanying the news release.
Earlier Thursday, Maryland officials said they expected the state to lose about 29,000 jobs under Trump's effort to reshape the federal government, opening a $280 million hole in the state's already dwindling budget.
The lawsuit asks the court to rule that the Trump administration's terminations of probationary federal employees is illegal and to reinstate those workers.
'These federal employees are not elected officials. They are dedicated civil servants whom the president has turned into political pawns as he seeks to dismantle and extinguish the federal government,' Brown said in a video accompanying the news release.
Members of the lawsuit coalition include the attorneys general of Minnesota, the District of Columbia, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Wisconsin.
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