Attorney General Bonta Secures Preliminary Injunction Blocking Trump Administration from Unlawfully Terminating Federal Employees

OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta today released a statement after the issuance of a preliminary injunction blocking the Trump Administration from conducting unlawful mass terminations of federal probationary employees who live or work in California.

 “The Trump Administration’s callous and reckless mass firings of federal employees have harmed thousands of employees and families including many veterans in our state who have dutifully served their country in uniform,” said Attorney General Bonta. “Today’s decision is an important victory for the rule of law, which blocks the administration from terminating federal employees without lawfully required notice. California will continue to fight to protect our federal workforce, and the services Californians rely on.” 

Background

Last month, Attorney General Bonta joined a coalition of 20 attorneys general in filing a lawsuit against the Trump Administration for conducting an illegal mass firing of federal employees. Soon after, the U.S. District Court for Maryland granted a temporary restraining order that barred the Trump Administration’s unlawful mass firing of federal employees from 18 federal agencies from taking effect and ordering the employees’ reinstatement. Today’s order prevents the federal agencies listed below from conducting during the pendency of the lawsuit unlawful mass firings of federal employees who live or work in California and requires the reinstatement of any affected employees who have not already been reinstated. The order also extends the injunction to encompass employees from the Department of Defense and the Office of Personnel Management.

Nationally, there are more than 5.1 million federal workers. Nearly all federal employees serve a one-or two-year probationary period, and more than 200,000 are on probationary status across the federal government. In California, numerous federal employees serve in critical roles across key agencies including the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Agriculture, the National Park Service, and the U.S. Forest Service, among others.

The abrupt, pretextual termination of federal employees was not only unlawful but also disrupted essential government services from support for veterans and farmers to protection of our cherished national parks and lands. This action also had far reaching economic effects. Specifically, in California, federal employees heavily contribute to our economy by paying state income taxes and generating substantial local revenue. As a direct result of the Trump Administration’s unlawful actions, the state Employment Development Department was forced to commit substantial human and financial resources to quickly offer unemployment and reemployment assistance and information to wrongfully displaced workers. During the month of February 2025, coinciding with the layoffs, California saw a 149% increase in state unemployment benefit claims by federal workers.  

Attorney General Bonta is joined by the attorneys general of Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawai‛i, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia, in securing the preliminary injunction.

A copy of the court's order can be found here.