Great Lakes Wire

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, along with a coalition of 19 attorneys general, has filed a motion for a preliminary injunction to halt the dismantling of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). This legal action follows the March 27 announcement by Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., detailing a major restructuring and reduction in staff as part of the president’s “Department of Government Efficiency” initiative.

The restructuring plan involves collapsing HHS's 28 agencies into 15 and reducing its workforce by approximately 20,000 employees, from around 85,000 to 65,000. Termination notices have been sent to thousands of HHS employees nationwide since April 1, leading to the closure of half of HHS’s regional offices, including those in major cities such as Boston, Chicago, New York City, San Francisco, and Seattle.

On May 5, the attorneys general filed a lawsuit against the Trump Administration challenging this significant restructuring. By May 9, they submitted a motion for a preliminary injunction to stop the mass firings and dismantling efforts.

The Michigan Department of Attorney General has also filed a declaration from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS), highlighting disruptions caused by these changes. MDHHS previously collaborated with HHS on numerous programs impacting three million residents but now faces delays in communication and reduced support due to staff cuts at HHS.

Nessel emphasized that "public health threats spread quickly," making it crucial to address what she describes as illegal actions that compromise community safety. The closures could lead to loss of critical public health functions like infectious disease testing and response coordination.

Attorney General Nessel is joined in this legal effort by her counterparts from Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaiʻi, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island Vermont Washington Wisconsin.