AG Ford vows to hold Trump administration accountable after court ruling

Las Vegas (KSNV) — Attorney General Aaron D. Ford, alongside a coalition of 20 attorneys general, announced a significant legal victory with the securing of a preliminary injunction in the case of Maryland et al. v. USDA.

The lawsuit, filed in the United States District Court for Maryland, challenges the Trump administration's mass firing of federal probationary employees.

The preliminary injunction mandates the reinstatement of unlawfully terminated probationary employees in the plaintiff states and requires 20 federal agencies to adhere 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," said Attorney General 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."

The lawsuit, initiated on March 6, sought immediate relief for the affected states, resulting in a temporary restraining order issued on March 14 for 18 federal agencies.

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The court extended this order, preventing potentially devastating impacts on Nevada and other plaintiff states.

The preliminary injunction extends the court's earlier order, ensuring that the following federal agencies cannot continue their unlawful conduct: 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 the United States Agency for International Development.

Attorney General Ford was joined in this lawsuit by Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown and the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Wisconsin.