Attorney General Dan Rayfield has successfully obtained a preliminary injunction alongside a coalition of 20 other attorneys general against various federal agencies. The lawsuit, Maryland et al. v. USDA, was filed in the United States District Court for Maryland, challenging the mass termination of federal probationary employees deemed unlawful.
The preliminary injunction mandates the reinstatement of these employees in the plaintiff states and directs 20 federal agencies to adhere to lawful procedures for any future workforce reductions. Attorney General Rayfield commented on the ruling: “These workers were unjustly dismissed in an act of disregard for both the law and the people they serve. The court’s decision to reinstate them is a powerful reminder that justice should always rise above political recklessness.”
Initiated on March 6, 2025, by AG Rayfield and the coalition, the lawsuit aimed for immediate relief, leading to a temporary restraining order on March 14, 2025, applicable to 18 federal agencies. Prior to its expiration on April 1, the order was extended, averting severe implications for Oregon and other plaintiff states, as well as their probationary employees.
The preliminary injunction prolongs the court's previous order, requiring agencies to halt the unlawful firings and to reinstate the employees during the ongoing litigation. It ensures compliance by the following agencies:
Department of Agriculture, Department of Transportation, Department of Commerce, Department of Treasury, Department of Defense, Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Education, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Department of Energy, Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Health and Human Services, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Department of Homeland Security, General Services Administration, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Personnel Management, Department of Interior, Small Business Administration, Department of Labor, United States Agency for International Development.
Attorney General Rayfield’s coalition includes attorneys general from Maryland, Minnesota, the District of Columbia, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawai‘i, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Wisconsin.