Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell, along with a coalition of 19 other attorneys general, has successfully obtained a temporary restraining order from the U.S. District Court of Maryland. This order mandates the temporary reinstatement of thousands of federal probationary workers who were dismissed during the Trump Administration's mass layoffs. According to the order, these employees must return to their duties by 1 PM EST on Monday, March 17, 2025.
Attorney General Campbell joined the coalition last week to file both a lawsuit and a motion for the temporary restraining order to reverse what they claim were unlawful firings. The coalition is now pursuing a preliminary injunction to halt further layoffs and ensure the reinstatement of affected employees during the ongoing legal proceedings.
“I am grateful for the court’s order, which reinstates thousands of federal jobs for Massachusetts workers, including those who provide critical services that enable our state to function and thrive," said AG Campbell. "As our lawsuit proceeds, I will continue to stand up for our workers, protecting them from reckless actions that threaten both their rights and our state’s public resources."
Fired employees in Massachusetts included personnel from federal departments such as Treasury, Interior, Transportation, Agriculture, and Veterans Affairs.
The coalition's lawsuit claims the Trump Administration did not adhere to federal laws governing "Reductions in Force" (RIF). These laws ensure protections for federal workers, including giving preference to military veterans in job retention. The lawsuit argues that the lack of notification to states about the mass firings has caused irreparable harm, straining state unemployment resources, affecting state finances, and disrupting state-federal collaborations.
The Trump Administration's move to substantially reduce the federal government led to numerous layoffs, targeting probationary employees—those newly hired, promoted, or recently relocated—who typically serve a one to two-year probation period. While termination letters cited performance issues, the coalition contends these were not individualized assessments but rather a broad attempt to downsize the federal workforce.
Typically, when a RIF affects 50 or more employees in a specific area, agencies must provide at least 60 days’ notice to state governments. This notification is crucial for states to offer "rapid response" resources to those affected. The lawsuit states that federal agencies did not give any such notice to Massachusetts and the coalition states, leading to unexpected expenses and challenges as they address the sudden unemployment wave.
Alongside Massachusetts, the lawsuit includes participation from attorneys general from Maryland, Minnesota, the District of Columbia, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawai'i, Illinois, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Wisconsin.