A coalition, including labor unions, nonprofits, and local governments from Chicago, Baltimore, and Harris County in Texas, has initiated a significant legal challenge against President Trump’s extensive federal government restructuring.
The lawsuit, filed on Monday, alleges that actions by the President, Elon Musk, and heads of multiple federal agencies violate the Constitution due to Congress not authorizing these measures to substantially reduce the federal workforce.
The lawsuit states that three months into the administration, directions from President Trump through the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) have been guiding federal agencies in reorganization and workforce reductions. Newly appointed agency heads report making cuts following presidential directives and DOGE’s guidelines.
Among the plaintiffs are several unions and nonprofits previously involved in legal action against the Trump administration over mass terminations of probationary employees. In a related case, a U.S. District Judge ruled that OPM unlawfully directed several federal agencies to terminate certain employees, resulting in an order for their reinstatement, which was later vacated by the Supreme Court, leaving the legality of the firings unaddressed.
The current lawsuit extends further, claiming Trump’s executive order from February 11, which enacts the “Department of Government Efficiency” Workforce Optimization Initiative, oversteps Congress’ constitutional authority. The lawsuit underlines that federal agencies are established by Congress and not the President, asserting Congress retains exclusive authority for such significant transformations.
While Congress, led by Trump’s Republican allies, has been mostly silent as federal employees are dismissed and government programs and buildings shuttered, the President maintains these actions promote accountability. He insists his 2024 election victory provided a mandate to eliminate inefficiencies within the government.
The plaintiffs seek to nullify Trump’s executive order and related agency directives from OMB and OPM. They argue the expedited process imposed for agency reduction plans fails to comply with legal and regulatory standards.
The lawsuit criticizes Musk’s DOGE for implementing workforce reductions across government agencies without statutory power granted by Congress, contrary to OMB and OPM.
NPR has not received a response from the White House regarding the lawsuit.
