Attorney General Keith Ellison has achieved a significant legal victory with a preliminary injunction against the Trump Administration over the firing of federal probationary employees. This injunction is part of a lawsuit filed by a group of 20 attorneys general challenging what they describe as the unlawful termination of these employees.
The preliminary injunction mandates that 20 federal agencies reinstate the dismissed probationary employees and follow legal procedures for any future layoffs during the ongoing court proceedings. Attorney General Ellison stated, "Donald Trump violated the law, causing harm to the state of Minnesota and its people when he attempted his chaotic firing spree targeting federal probationary employees.” He expressed hope that this legal action would help address the impact of these dismissals and reiterated his readiness to take further legal action if necessary.
The lawsuit was initiated on March 6, 2025, in the United States District Court for Maryland, with Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown leading the coalition. A temporary restraining order was issued on March 14, 2025, and later extended, preventing the mass layoffs from proceeding. This preliminary injunction builds on that restraining order, requiring federal agencies to halt their dismissals and reinstate affected employees.
Attorney General Ellison and his colleagues from Maryland, the District of Columbia, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawai‛i, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Wisconsin continue to litigate against the federal agencies involved.