California Attorney General Rob Bonta has joined a coalition of 19 attorneys general in seeking a preliminary injunction to halt the dismantling of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). This legal action follows a directive issued by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. on March 27, known as the "Make America Healthy Again" (MAHA Directive), which proposes significant structural changes within the department.
The MAHA Directive includes plans to terminate approximately 10,000 full-time HHS employees, consolidate 28 divisions into 15, and close half of its regional offices, including one in San Francisco. In response, the attorneys general filed a lawsuit against the Trump Administration on May 5 and are now pursuing expedited relief from the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island.
Attorney General Bonta stated: “Absent intervention from the court, our States will suffer irreparable harm. As a result, we’re filing a motion for a preliminary injunction and requesting expedited relief.” He emphasized that this move is crucial to protect HHS from what he describes as an attack by the Trump Administration.
The coalition argues that parts of the MAHA Directive are arbitrary and capricious. They specifically seek an injunction concerning several key areas: (1) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; (2) Center for Tobacco Products within the Food & Drug Administration; (3) Office of Head Start within the Administration for Children and Families; and (4) Division of Data and Technical Analysis within the Office of Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation.
In their motion, they assert that they are likely to succeed in proving violations of various legal frameworks by these actions under federal law. They highlight potential irreparable harm due to loss of funding and support if terminations proceed as planned on June 2.
Attorney General Bonta's efforts are supported by his counterparts from Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaiʻi, Illinois, Maine, Michigan, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York Oregon Rhode Island Vermont Washington Wisconsin and D.C.
A copy of this motion is available online.