The attorneys general of Washington D.C., Maryland, and 18 other states are suing the Trump administration over the mass firing of federal employees.
Their lawsuit joins several other legal challenges seeking relief for tens of thousands of fired workers.
The Democratic attorneys general argue that federal agencies falsely told probationary employees — those relatively new on the job — through termination letters that they were being fired because of their performance.
In fact, the states argue that more than 20 agencies, who are named as defendants in the lawsuit, were trying to shrink their headcount through a process called a reduction in force, but failed to follow proper procedures for doing so.
Federal law requires agencies to notify states generally 60 days in advance when laying off 50 or more people, so that states can jump into action.
"Economic dislocation of workers can easily create a cascade of instability throughout a regional economy," the attorneys general wrote in their complaint.
Under federal law, they explain, states are required to have rapid response teams to provide workers with support, including job transition services. The goal of these teams is to reduce fired employees' reliance on public assistance.
Advance notice of mass layoffs helps states quickly identify who will need help before they are fired, the complaint contends.
The attorneys general have asked a federal judge in Maryland for a temporary restraining order, halting the firings of probationary employees and reinstating those who have been terminated. A hearing is scheduled for March 12.
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