Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, along with 18 other attorneys general, has filed a lawsuit against U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The lawsuit seeks to stop what they claim is the unlawful dismantling of the department. The legal challenge is in response to the Trump administration's firing of thousands of federal health workers and the closure of important public health programs, according to the Department of Attorney General.
The Department of Health and Human Services has undergone restructuring as part of the president's "Department of Government Efficiency" initiative. Department of Health and Human Services has consolidated 28 agencies into 15 and closed half of its regional offices, including those in cities like Boston, Chicago, and New York City. The workforce has been reduced by around 20,000 employees. These changes have caused disruptions in several programs, including surveillance for black lung disease, the federal N95 mask approval laboratory, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention labs that track infectious diseases like measles, as reported by the Department of Attorney General.
A coalition of states, led by Michigan, has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, arguing that recent health policy changes, made without congressional approval, have led to mass layoffs and the closure of regional offices. The lawsuit seeks a court order to stop the layoffs and restore health services. The coalition points to a recent restraining order on April 4, which temporarily restored state health funding, as a potential precedent. The lawsuit is supported by several states, including Arizona, California, and New York, as stated by the Department of Attorney General.
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