Attorney General Aaron D. Ford, along with a coalition of 20 attorneys general, has secured a preliminary injunction in the case of Maryland et al. v. USDA. The lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court for Maryland against several federal agencies over the alleged unlawful mass firing of federal probationary employees.
The injunction mandates that these federal agencies reinstate unlawfully terminated probationary employees residing or working in the plaintiff states while legal proceedings continue. It also requires adherence to lawful procedures for any future workforce reductions.
“The Trump administration violated the law when it mass fired federal probationary employees, and it did so with no regard for its effect on Nevada and its hardworking civil servants,” stated AG Ford. “This decision ensures that these Nevadans are protected and puts a stop to these illegal actions while we continue this legal fight — a fight we are confident we will win. I will continue to defend the rule of law and hold the Trump administration accountable.”
AG Ford joined this legal action on March 6, 2025, seeking immediate relief from what he described as irreparable harm to Nevada and other plaintiff states. A temporary restraining order was initially issued by a federal judge on March 14, 2025, affecting 18 federal agencies. This order was later extended until April 1 to prevent significant impacts on Nevada and other states involved.
The preliminary injunction extends previous court orders preventing further unlawful terminations by various federal agencies including: the Department of Agriculture; Department of Transportation; Department of Commerce; Department of the 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 the Interior; Small Business Administration; Department of Labor, and United States Agency for International Development.
Joining AG Ford in this lawsuit is Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown as lead attorney general, along with attorneys general from Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Wisconsin.
