New York Attorney General Letitia James has announced a court victory compelling the Trump administration to reinstate thousands of probationary federal employees who were terminated without proper notice. The reinstatement, ordered by March 17, follows a lawsuit led by Attorney General James alongside 19 other attorneys general. They argued that the mass terminations violated federal law, which mandates advance written notice for such layoffs.
Attorney General James emphasized the importance of federal workers in her statement: “Federal workers dedicate their careers to serving our country. They go to work every day to keep our communities safe, provide health care to those in need, and more. The Trump administration’s illegal mass firings of federal workers are causing destruction and confusion throughout the country, and they must stop. I applaud this ruling that restores thousands of federal workers’ jobs, and I will continue to fight to protect our federal workforce, and the services New Yorkers rely on, from this administration’s chaos.”
The United States District Court for the District of Maryland granted a temporary restraining order (TRO) preventing further unlawful dismissals while requiring the reinstatement of affected employees laid off since January 20.
This legal action is part of broader efforts by Attorney General James against actions perceived as harmful to federal employees. On March 13, she led another coalition in suing over proposed reductions at the Department of Education. Earlier actions include an amicus brief filed on February 11 supporting challenges against a controversial federal "buyout" plan and warnings issued on February 3 about deceptive buyout offers.