Two unions have sued the Trump administration over its plans to lay off federal employees during the government shutdown, arguing that the “illegal threats” are illegal and should be declared unlawful by a federal court in San Francisco, NBC News reports.
“These actions are unlawful, arbitrary, and capricious, and the cynical use of federal employees as pawns in congressional debates should be declared unlawful and punished by this court,” the lawsuit, filed hours before the shutdown, states.
The lawsuit, filed by the American Federation of Government Employees and the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, includes the groups Democracy Forward and Defenders of State Democracy.
The court filings do not specify which judge will hear the case, but Russell Vaught, Director of the Office of Management and Budget, is listed as the defendant.
It’s worth noting that today, Wednesday, the federal government shutdown officially took effect due to the inability of Republican and Democratic lawmakers to reach an agreement on the state budget.