NJ Joins Multistate Effort to Block Social Security Office Closures and Layoffs

NEW JERSEY - New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin has joined a coalition of 20 other states in filing an amicus brief in support of a federal injunction to halt widespread layoffs and planned closures at the Social Security Administration (SSA), which the brief argues jeopardize vital services for millions of Americans.

The legal filing supports the plaintiffs in American Association of People with Disabilities v. Dudek, a case now before the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The plaintiffs allege that the federal government’s restructuring of the SSA under the Trump Administration—including mass staff reductions and office closures—violates federal disability and administrative law, as well as constitutional protections.

“Instead of protecting the Social Security benefits that millions of Americans count on every day, President Trump and Elon Musk are taking a wrecking ball to the Social Security Administration. Because of these reckless and illegal cuts, New Jerseyans are now facing unacceptable disruptions and delays to their Social Security benefits,” said Attorney General Platkin. “New Jerseyans deserve better than to have their retirements thrown into chaos by an unelected billionaire who is destroying a critical safety net with zero accountability for his actions. We will continue to stand up for New Jersey residents and the retirements that they have earned, and we will continue to defend Social Security against these damaging attacks.”

The amicus brief contends that the actions of SSA officials, including Dudek and DOGE, have led to a deterioration of essential services, with no credible justification for the cuts. It highlights a wave of retirements and buyouts—approximately 2,800 employees—alongside additional planned layoffs, including those at the Office of Transformation responsible for SSA’s digital infrastructure.

According to the brief, these reductions have led to longer wait times at field offices, increased hold times for customer service calls—up 50 percent in 2025—and frequent crashes of SSA’s website, compounding difficulties for beneficiaries. These changes have particularly impacted older adults and people with disabilities who rely on SSA not only for monthly benefits, but also as a gateway to other federal programs, such as Medicaid, Medicare, and food assistance.

The brief also responds to public claims made by Trump Administration officials. It notes that assertions about mass fraud—such as Elon Musk’s claim that SSA pays $100 billion annually in improper payments and former President Donald Trump’s claim about millions of centenarians receiving checks—have been discredited. The SSA’s own Inspector General reports that less than 1 percent of total payments between 2015 and 2022 were improper, most stemming from administrative errors rather than fraud.

The coalition of state attorneys general argues that the staffing reductions and office closures impair SSA’s ability to fulfill its legal obligations under Section 504(a) of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, violate procedural safeguards under the Administrative Procedure Act, and infringe upon the First and Fifth Amendments.

On July 1, 1966 (the start of Medicare enrollments) SSA Commissioner Bob Ball holds a press conference to announce SSA's plans for implementing Medicare.

Alongside New Jersey, attorneys general from Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington have joined the brief.

The coalition supports the plaintiffs’ request for a preliminary injunction to prevent further deterioration of SSA services while the lawsuit proceeds.

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