Trump Fired ‘Political Enemies,’ Federal Workers Say in Suit (1)

The Trump Administration illegally pushed out nonpartisan federal employees who worked on diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, trampling on their First Amendment rights, a Wednesday lawsuit alleges.

It’s normal for priorities to change when a new president comes to power, but the reductions in force affecting these workers were “targeted actions intended to punish perceived political enemies,” former employees said in the proposed class action filed in the US District Court for the District of Columbia. The administration’s anti-DEI executive orders also discriminated against women, nonbinary people, and people of color, the complaint said.

The White House and the Justice Department didn’t immediately respond to a Wednesday request for comment. The CIA, Defense Department, Federal Reserve, Labor Department, and Treasury Department are among the other defendants.

The four workers leading the suit allege they lost their jobs because they served in—or the administration perceived them as serving in—DEI-related roles at some time during their time in government. “President Trump made clear his disdain for ‘DEI,’ a term he used pejoratively but never defined, associating it with political ideologies he disfavored,” the complaint said.

“Firing non-partisan federal workers for their perceived political beliefs—based upon their performing their job duties under the policies of the prior Administration—not only strips the federal government of skilled, competent professionals, but also tramples on those employees’ constitutional and statutory rights,” according to the suit, which also alleges violations of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

The workers seek reinstatement, back pay, restored federal service seniority, and attorneys’ fees, among other things.

Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein LLP; Kalijarvi, Chuzi, Newman & Fitch PC; and ACLU of DC represent the workers.

The case is Fell v. Trump, D.D.C., No. 1:25-cv-04206, complaint filed 12/3/25.