Government Workers Challenge Legal Actions by Trump and Musk

Workers from across the federal government have initiated a legal counteroffensive against President Trump and Elon Musk, challenging the legality of efforts to dismantle their agencies, publicly single them out, or push them out of their jobs.

The lawsuits, filed by F.B.I. agents, public sector unions, older Americans, and liberal legal groups, focus on legal points regarding taxpayer data privacy and federal rule-making. Together, they represent the beginning of a legal confrontation concerning constitutional order, checks and balances, and the separation of powers envisioned by the founders.

The courts will determine whether the president has the authority not only to direct the executive branch but also to reshape it significantly. The judicial branch may also find ways to ensure the enforcement of its decisions.

On Tuesday, three government unions sued the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to block an initiative aimed at convincing approximately two million federal employees to resign early.

Groups of F.B.I. agents sued to prevent Mr. Trump from disclosing the names of agents involved in the investigations of the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021, fearing a possible purge.

Labor unions and a retirees’ group filed suit against the Treasury Department to limit access to sensitive Treasury systems containing private data of millions of Americans, which they claim may have been compromised by Mr. Musk's employees through a project he termed the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

A group of transgender plaintiffs, supported by advocacy organizations and the ACLU, also filed a lawsuit to block Mr. Trump's order that defunds gender-transition treatments for individuals under 19. Additionally, there are pending lawsuits seeking to prevent the Bureau of Prisons from transferring trans female inmates to male facilities. One of these lawsuits recently won a temporary restraining order, barring the Justice Department from such transfers and denying gender-transition treatments.

Earlier, two federal employees, using pseudonyms, filed a lawsuit against OPM to block access to an email address that circulated a governmentwide resignation offer, reminiscent of one Mr. Musk had circulated to Twitter employees.

The White House press office did not respond to a request for comment.

The legal actions collectively seek to counter what the plaintiffs perceive as an unlawful effort, often led by Mr. Musk, to undermine established civil service protections and to infringe upon Congress's constitutional authority over federal spending.

Legal representatives argue that there is potential for physical harm, citing the need for anonymity to protect clients from possible retaliation from Mr. Trump and Mr. Musk's supporters.

At the core of these actions lies Mr. Musk's new organization, which, despite being neither a department nor a formal division, has acquired significant power, ostensibly to cut costs and reorganize government. An executive order aimed at integrating "DOGE teams" within federal agencies states its mission is to implement the president's DOGE agenda by modernizing federal technology and maximizing efficiency.

Recently, Mr. Musk hinted at successfully closing the U.S. Agency for International Development, a 63-year-old agency that supports global health and development projects. Following this, federal employees and their lawyers accused his staff of commandeering sensitive data and information systems within the federal bureaucracy.

Numerous lawsuits focus on the unauthorized access to private data and systems, including contact information for millions of individuals and control over critical federal payment systems. The Treasury Department stated that the access claimed by the Musk group is "read-only."

Another lawsuit contested the legality of the governmentwide resignation initiative, citing violations of civil service rules and promising rewards that lack prior congressional approval.

Democracy Forward, involved in one suit, alleged that the efforts by Mr. Musk's group aim to dismantle the merit-based system of civil service developed over a century ago, evoking a return to an outdated era of political favor-based job distribution.

A third lawsuit sought to restrain OPM from sending governmentwide emails until it completed a mandatory privacy assessment, fearing potential mass firings and security vulnerabilities from external email servers.

In cases related to the F.B.I. and transgender rights, plaintiffs also filed under pseudonyms, echoing concerns of potential retaliation. A lawyer for the F.B.I. Agents Association contended that releasing the names of agents involved in Capitol riot investigations would lead to severe harassment and should therefore be prevented.

The legal actions arose in response to a request by the acting deputy attorney general for a list of individuals involved in the Capitol riot investigations, estimated to encompass as many as 6,000 agents.

Although the Trump administration has not confirmed intentions to release identities of law enforcement officials, the demand for names has intensified suspicions of imminent mass firings.

Seamus Hughes contributed research.