Attorney General Mayes, along with 19 other attorneys general, has filed a lawsuit against Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and other officials from the Trump administration. The lawsuit aims to prevent what they describe as the dismantling of HHS. Since taking office, Secretary Kennedy and the Trump administration have been accused of firing thousands of federal health workers, closing essential programs, and leaving states to handle growing health crises without federal assistance.
Attorney General Mayes stated, "Programs like LIHEAP and Head Start aren’t luxuries—they are lifelines for Arizonans. They keep families cool in our summer months, help children get a fair start in life, and provide critical support in every corner of our state." She added that the actions taken by the Trump Administration threaten these services, prompting her legal action to protect them.
The coalition of attorneys general contends that Secretary Kennedy's restructuring plan under the president’s “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) initiative is detrimental. This plan includes reducing HHS agencies from 28 to 15 and terminating 10,000 employees on April 1.
According to the lawsuit, these changes have negatively impacted various health services across the country. Programs for miners with black lung disease have ceased operations; access to N95 masks has diminished following the closure of a key laboratory; CDC infectious disease laboratories crucial for tracking diseases like measles have been shut down; and staff cuts at LIHEAP have left low-income households vulnerable to extreme weather conditions.
Further consequences include layoffs within mental health and addiction treatment services at SAMHSA and potential impacts on programs like WTCHP that serve 9/11 first responders. Additionally, maternal health teams at CDC were disbanded, affecting pregnant women and newborns' care.
The attorneys general argue that these actions violate numerous federal laws and regulations because they were enacted without congressional approval. They claim this undermines constitutional checks and balances while jeopardizing public health efforts traditionally supported by HHS.
The coalition seeks judicial intervention to stop further layoffs, reverse organizational changes deemed illegal, and reinstate vital health services nationwide.
On April 1, Attorney General Mayes joined another group of 23 attorneys general in filing a related lawsuit against Secretary Kennedy over significant reductions in state health funding. A temporary restraining order was issued on April 4 by a federal judge to reinstate this funding temporarily.
This legal effort is spearheaded by New York Attorney General Letitia James alongside Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha and Washington Attorney General Nick Brown. Other participating states include California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawai’i, Illinois, Maine, Michigan, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Vermont Wisconsin as well as the District of Columbia.