Attorney General Mayes and a coalition of 20 attorneys general secured a preliminary injunction (PI) in Maryland et al. v. USDA, a lawsuit filed in the United States District Court for Maryland suing numerous federal agencies for the unlawful mass firing of federal probationary employees. The PI protects federal probationary employees who live or work in the plaintiff states and orders 20 federal agencies to reinstate unlawfully terminated probationary employees while the court case continues. The PI also requires those agencies to follow lawful procedures in conducting any future reductions in force. “Firing probationary employees without following the rules was wrong, and it hurt Arizonans,” said Attorney General Mayes. “I will keep fighting to make sure the Trump administration follows the law and treats workers fairly.” On March 6, 2025, Attorney General Mayes sued numerous federal agencies for causing irreparable injuries to Arizona and the other plaintiff states. The lawsuit sought immediate relief, and a federal judge issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) on March 14, 2025, for 18 federal agencies. The Court later extended that order by five days such that it was set to expire on April 1, which would have resulted in devastating impacts on Arizona and the plaintiff states, as well as their probationary employees. The PI extends the Court’s earlier order requiring the federal agencies to stop the unlawful mass firings and to give those employees their jobs back while the attorneys general litigate the case against the agencies. The PI ensures that for the remainder of the case, the following federal agencies cannot continue their unlawful conduct:
- Department of Agriculture
- Department of Commerce
- Department of Defense
- Department of Education
- Department of Energy
- Department of Health and Human Services
- Department of Homeland Security
- Department of Housing and Urban Development
- Department of Interior
- Department of Labor
- Department of Transportation
- Department of Treasury
- Department of Veterans Affairs
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
- Environmental Protection Agency
- Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
- General Services Administration
- Office of Personnel Management
- Small Business Administration
- United States Agency for International Development
Original source can be found here.