On February 11, 2025, President Trump signed Executive Order 14210, “Implementing the President’s ‘Department of Government Efficiency’ Workforce Optimization Initiative.” This sweeping directive required every federal agency to submit plans by April 14, 2025, to carry out massive reductions in force (RIFs)—in other words, mass layoffs—and reorganizations aimed at radically shrinking and reshaping the federal government.
This executive order attempts to deconstruct critical government functions without any approval from Congress, violating the Constitution’s separation of powers. The President does not have the authority to unilaterally make such far-reaching changes to federal agencies—authority that the Constitution gives solely to Congress.
On April 28, a nationwide coalition of labor unions, nonprofit organizations, and local governments—represented by Democracy Forward, Altshuler Berzon LLP, Protect Democracy, Public Rights Project, and the State Democracy Defenders Fund—filed a lawsuit challenging the executive order. The plaintiffs are asking the court to block enforcement of the order, arguing that the President is illegally seizing powers that belong to Congress.
The lawsuit also argues that no law allows the President to order sweeping layoffs or to force agencies to abandon their legal obligations and core functions. The administration pushed this plan forward without public notice or input, bypassing legally required processes. In doing so, the President abused the power of executive orders and broke key federal laws like the Administrative Procedure Act.
The consequences are already unfolding. Thousands of federal workers have already been laid off—losing not just their jobs, but also their healthcare and financial stability. Those who remain face enormous workloads and uncertainty in gutted agencies. The harm doesn’t stop with the workforce: communities across the country are beginning to feel the ripple effects, as vital services tied to education, healthcare, veterans’ care, public safety, and environmental protection are disrupted or eliminated.
This case is part of a broader effort to challenge the Trump-Vance administration’s unlawful attempt to dismantle the federal workforce.
The plaintiffs in this case are a broad coalition that includes labor organizations, nonprofit groups, and local governments. The labor organizations are the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE); the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME); the Service Employees International Union (SEIU); AFGE Local 1122; AFGE Local 1236; AFGE Local 2110; AFGE Local 3172; and SEIU Local 1000. Also included among the nonprofit groups are the Alliance for Retired Americans; the American Geophysical Union (AGU); the American Public Health Association (APHA); the Center for Taxpayer Rights; the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks; Common Defense Civic Engagement (Common Defense); Main Street Alliance; the Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc. (NRDC); the Northeast Organic Farming Association Inc. (NOFA); VoteVets Action Fund Inc. (VoteVets); and the Western Watersheds Project. Finally, representing local governments are the County of Santa Clara, California; Martin Luther King, Jr. County, Washington; the City of Chicago, Illinois; the City of Baltimore, Maryland; Harris County, Texas; and the City and County of San Francisco, California.
The case, AFGE v. Trump, is being heard in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.