NJ Joins Multistate Lawsuit Challenging Dismantling of Federal Health Department

New Jersey and 19 other states allege the Trump Administration’s mass layoffs and reorganization of HHS violate federal law and threaten critical public health infrastructure.

New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin has joined 19 other state attorneys general in filing a federal lawsuit aimed at stopping what they describe as the Trump Administration’s unlawful dismantling of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The suit, announced May 5, targets Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., HHS, and other senior administration officials, alleging that recent sweeping changes to the federal health agency have undermined its legal mandate and endangered essential public health services.

“Instead of responding to urgent public health crises, the Trump Administration is recklessly disregarding the health of New Jerseyans and putting the lives of our state’s residents at risk. Illegally dismantling the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will have grave consequences for our state, cutting off access to critical care for 9/11 first responders, taking away resources from pregnant women, and making it harder for us to respond to the spread of infectious diseases,” said Attorney General Platkin. “President Trump and Secretary Kennedy do not have the legal authority to shut down this department—but they are apparently hell-bent on firing tens of thousands of public health workers and shuttering key programs. We are filing this lawsuit to protect families across our state from this disastrous and illegal shutdown.”

Filed in response to a series of controversial administrative decisions, the lawsuit highlights the mass termination of 10,000 federal health employees, the closure of half of HHS’s regional offices—including those in New York City and other major cities—and the abrupt restructuring of the agency's internal framework. On March 27, Secretary Kennedy unveiled a plan to collapse HHS’s 28 component agencies into just 15, with widespread staff layoffs following on April 1.

The lawsuit alleges that these actions were carried out without congressional approval and in violation of statutory obligations placed on HHS by federal law. The coalition contends that the Trump Administration’s changes overstep executive authority and breach the constitutional separation of powers.

According to the suit, the consequences have already been severe. Laboratories at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) tasked with tracking and testing for diseases such as measles and hepatitis have reportedly been shuttered. Cuts to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) have eliminated hundreds of positions, including the closure of all regional offices. The maternal health division at CDC, responsible for protecting pregnant women and newborns, has also reportedly been disbanded in its entirety.

The lawsuit specifically warns that programs such as the World Trade Center Health Program (WTCHP)—which serves over 137,000 9/11 first responders and survivors—are now unable to certify cancer diagnoses, threatening access to life-saving care for affected individuals.

Filed in federal court, the lawsuit calls for the reversal of the HHS reorganization, reinstatement of terminated staff, and restoration of suspended or dismantled services. It builds on an earlier legal challenge initiated on April 1 by 23 attorneys general opposing cuts to state health funding. That initial action resulted in a federal judge issuing a temporary restraining order against the administration on April 4, pausing the funding cuts.

This latest lawsuit is led by New York Attorney General Letitia James, Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha, and Washington Attorney General Nick Brown, with Attorney General Platkin joining alongside officials from 17 other states and the District of Columbia. The coalition asserts that without judicial intervention, the sweeping changes at HHS will continue to erode critical public health functions and put millions of Americans at risk.