Nevada joins legal challenge of federal mass layoffs
Nevada’s Aaron Ford joined with a coalition of attorneys general in seeking to stop the Trump administration’s mass layoffs of federal employees — the latest legal action the Democratic attorney general has taken against the president.
Ford and 19 other attorneys general filed a motion for a temporary restraining order Friday in U.S. District Court in Maryland to cease what they allege are illegal mass layoffs of probationary workers and to reinstate the employees who have already been fired, his office announced in a statement.
In the last few weeks, federal agencies such as the Internal Revenue Service, Veterans Affairs and the General Services Administration have announced layoffs as part of the Trump administration’s campaign to curb federal spending.
The administration ordered agencies to identify its probationary employees — those who have recently been hired or changed positions in the last year. In what came to be known as the “Valentine’s Day Massacre,” the agencies fired them.
It’s unclear how many employees have been fired, but the attorneys general estimate 24,000 probationary employees have been terminated in the last three weeks.
The attorneys general claim the mass firings are causing “irreparable injuries” to Nevada and other states by straining state resources to support the unemployed workers.
Agencies told the workers they were fired due to their performance or their conduct, though in reality it was part of the administration’s efforts to downsize the federal workforce, the attorneys general argue.
They claim that the administration was required to give state governments 60 days’ notice when a reduction in force results in the layoff of 50 or more employees so that the states can provide resources and services to the laid-off workers.
Ford alleges that the federal agencies named in the lawsuit, which includes the Interior, Treasury, Defense, Agriculture, Education, Health and Human Services and other departments, did not provide notice to Nevada “as it scrambles to respond to the sudden mass layoffs of its residents.”
“These mass firings will leave Nevadans unemployed and strain our state’s resources and finances in the aftermath,” Ford said in a statement. “Firing these employees for no reason and on a mass scale leaves our state — and our taxpayers — on the hook.”
He said Nevada will take care of the laid-off employees, but he argued that the federal government cannot put the financial burden on the states without planning.
The Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation (DETR) has resources available for former federal employees, according to the governor’s office.
According to data from DETR provided by the governor’s office, 15 Nevadans have applied for Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees since Feb. 1.
“Over the past two years, DETR has diligently worked to eliminate department backlogs and modernize processing systems,” said Elizabeth Ray, the governor’s spokesperson, in an email. “DETR is confident in its ability to provide ample resources and timely support for all Nevadans.”
Friday’s lawsuit is the latest action Ford has taken against the Trump administration. Ford, who said he plans to run for governor in 2026, has challenged the Department of Government Efficiency, federal grant freezes and bids to end birthright citizenship and defund medical and public health research.
Ford joined attorneys general from the states of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia in this latest lawsuit, according to Ford’s office.
The White House did not return a request for comment.
Contact Jessica Hill at jehill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @jess_hillyeah on X.
