HONOLULU - Attorney General Anne Lopez and a coalition of 20 attorneys general have secured a preliminary injunction (PI) in a lawsuit against numerous federal agencies for the unlawful mass firing of federal probationary employees. The suit, Maryland et al. v. USDA, was filed in the United States District Court for Maryland. 

The PI protects federal probationary employees who live or work in the plaintiff states and orders 20 federal agencies to reinstate unlawfully terminated probationary employees while the court case continues. The PI also requires those agencies to follow lawful procedures in conducting any future reductions in force.   

“The granting of this injunction sends a clear message that the government must follow certain laws and regulations when it comes to firing and laying off federal employees,” said Attorney General Lopez. “The federal workers who live and work in Hawai?i should not be treated as disposable. These agencies and their employees provide a critical safety net through social assistance programs and through state and federal partnerships.”  

On March 6, 2025, Attorney General Lopez joined the coalition in suing numerous federal agencies for causing irreparable injury to the plaintiff states, including Hawai?i. The lawsuit sought immediate relief, and a federal judge issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) on March 14, 2025, against 18 federal agencies. The court later extended that order by five days, setting an expiration date of April 1, which would have resulted in devastating impacts on the plaintiff states, as well as their probationary federal employees.    

The PI extends the court’s earlier order requiring the federal agencies to stop the unlawful mass firings and to give those employees back their jobs while the attorneys general litigate the case against the agencies. The PI ensures that for the remainder of the case, the following federal agencies cannot continue their unlawful conduct:   

The state of Hawai?i is represented in this litigation by Special Assistant to the Attorney General Dave Day and Solicitor General Kaliko?on?lani Fernandes. 

Attorney General Lopez was joined by the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia.