Attorney General James Wins Court Order Blocking Trump Administration’s Dismantling of Health and Human Services

NEW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James today secured a preliminary injunction halting Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s attempt to dismantle the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), ensuring continued access to critical public health and social service programs. On May 5, Attorney General James led a coalition of 19 other attorneys general in suing to stop the administration’s sweeping and unlawful directive, which left HHS unable to carry out many of its most vital functions. Today, Judge Melissa R. DuBose of the United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island blocked the administration's mass layoffs at several key HHS agencies – including those responsible for Head Start, the World Trade Center Health Program, infectious disease monitoring, and federal poverty guideline calculations – while the case proceeds.

“HHS is the backbone of our nation’s public health and social safety net – from cancer screenings and maternal health to early childhood education and domestic violence prevention,” said Attorney General James. “Today's order guarantees these programs and services will remain accessible and halts the administration’s attempt to sabotage our nation’s health care system. My office will continue fighting to stop this unlawful dismantling and defend the essential services that protect our most vulnerable communities.”

On March 27, Secretary Kennedy announced a sweeping restructuring of HHS. The plan collapsed 28 agencies into 15, terminated 10,000 employees without warning, and left key HHS offices shuttered or in disarray. Many workers learned they were fired only after being locked out of their offices and deactivated from government systems. In their lawsuit, Attorney General James and the multistate coalition argued that this unlawful overhaul immediately endangered lives and left crucial systems in chaos. The overhaul cut off federal support for Head Start centers, suspended maternal health data collection, and nearly shuttered disease monitoring at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The administration also terminated the entire team responsible for updating federal poverty guidelines – a tool used to determine eligibility for programs like SNAP, Medicaid, and housing assistance.

Today, Judge DuBose granted the states’ request for a preliminary injunction, blocking further implementation of the restructuring and stopping the termination of employees across four critical offices:

• The CDC, including the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health;
• The Center for Tobacco Products;
• The Office of Head Start; and
• The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation.

Joining Attorney General James in this lawsuit are the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Michigan, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia.