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HarrisCounty has joined a number of local government entities, unions, and othergroups in filing a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s unlawful“reorganization” of the federal government – which will lead to mass layoffs across federal agencies. 

During a press conference, Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee and CountyJudge Lina Hidalgo spoke about the lawsuit that challenges the Trumpadministration’s efforts to illegally reorganize the federal government and layoff tens of thousands of federal workers.

Menefee and Hidalgo highlighted the local impact of potential Social Securityfield office closures, the risks posed to emergency management ahead ofhurricane season, and recent lawsuits filed by Harris County to protect publichealth funding and other critical resources.

“The Trump administration’s reckless plan would gut the federal government and leave communities like ours to pick up the pieces. From Social Security offices to disaster response to keeping our air and water clean, the services and protection people rely on every day are under attack. Harris County isn’t standing by while Washington plays games with our future — we’re joining our partners from across the country in taking this fight to court to advocate for our residents and hold the line,” said Christian D. Menefee, Harris County Attorney. 

This is the largest and most significant challenge to Trump’s authority to remake the government without Congressional approval. The case seeks a court’s intervention to stop the implementation of the President’s unlawful Executive Order 14210 (Implementing the President’s ‘‘Department of Government Efficiency’’ Workforce Optimization Initiative), which violates the Constitution’s fundamental separation of powers principles. Federal agencies were required to submit for approval Agency Reductions in Force and Reorganization Plans on April 14. Although the President’s Executive Order seeks to radically reorganize and deconstruct federal agencies through massive reductions in force, the groups make clear in the filing that only Congress has the power to change the federal government in the ways the President has directed.