Unions, Nonprofits, and Local Governments Sue to Block USDA Reorganization as a Disguised Reduction-in-Force

A coalition of federal employee unions, nonprofits, and local governments filed a supplemental complaint and motion for a preliminary injunction in the ongoing AFGE v. Trump lawsuit to halt the Trump administration's reorganization of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The plaintiffs argue that relocating approximately 2,600 Washington, D.C.-area employees to regional hubs is a 'ruse for forcing employees to quit' and an unlawful attempt to downsize the workforce without congressional approval. Congress had explicitly blocked such relocations in the fiscal 2026 appropriations bill. Internal USDA planning documents, submitted to the court, reveal the reorganization aimed to cut the workforce by 23%—about 23,177 employees—by compelling resignations rather than conducting formal reductions-in-force. The lawsuit alleges the administration is illegally gutting programs that feed low-income families, protect forests, and conduct scientific research.

"The actions of this administration to reorganize USDA are a ruse for forcing employees to quit because they work on programs — like feeding low-income women and children, protecting our forests or scientific research — that this administration opposes for political reasons. Th..." Quote verified against source