Federal Workers Union Sues Trump Administration Over Partisan Shutdown Emails

California Governor Gavin Newsom has celebrated a legal victory after successfully joining a lawsuit that blocked President Donald Trump's deployment of California National Guard troops to Portland, Oregon, with a federal judge issuing a temporary restraining order against relocating National Guard members for federal service in Oregon. Additionally, a coalition of unions, educators, and religious groups filed a lawsuit challenging Trump's proclamation imposing a $100,000 fee on each new H-1B visa, arguing it was unlawful and would negatively impact various sectors relying on skilled foreign workers. Meanwhile, the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), the largest federal workers’ union, sued the Trump administration for inserting partisan language blaming Senate Democrats into the out-of-office emails of furloughed Department of Education employees during the recent government shutdown, claiming it violated free speech rights. The union asserted the administration unlawfully compelled employees to send politically charged messages without consent, escalating tensions amid the shutdown. These developments illustrate mounting legal opposition to several Trump administration policies perceived as overreaching or politically motivated, involving both national security measures and workforce management during political standoffs.