California sues Trump administration as Trump, Musk cut federal workforce

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- California is again taking Donald Trump to court as officials sue the government over the administration's firing of federal probationary employees.

"The president has once again overstepped his authority by a mile," Attorney General Rob Bonta said Friday.

He outlined in a new lawsuit that mass firings happened without notice, and he wants a restraining order to pause further firings.

"This reckless action has already caused a 149 percent increase in state unemployment benefit claims by federal workers," he said.

There are more than 150,000 federal employees in California alone. Many are on probationary status, meaning they are in their first or second year of employment.

Aaron McGlothin at the federal prison in Mendota says cuts go far beyond.

"They are going to eliminate the retention incentive that has been in place here for many years," McGlothin said.

McGlothin said the incentives keep experienced employees from leaving a prison that would otherwise struggle to hire.

The incentive is 25 percent for some, or nearly $2,000 a month.

"Tenured employees, such as myself, we have that long-standing time in the agency, and by removing this pay, you're trying to force people to either find a second job or seek alternative employment, and I can't find another job," he said.

The president and Elon Musk at DOGE have defended the layoffs, saying, "There are too many federal employees."

"You know, there's a lot of room. A lot of opportunity to improve expenditures in the government," Musk said on Capitol Hill this week. "We're making good progress."

But McGlothin says the work he does is essential.

"We're already stretching a thin workforce even thinner. It's going to cause disruptions all the way around. It's not safe," he said.

The state's lawsuit joins a growing number of legal battles for the president. ABC News now reports more than 100 federal lawsuits have been filed since the inauguration.

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