Honolulu, HI – In a significant legal victory for public health and social services, Attorney General Anne Lopez and a coalition of 19 other state attorneys general, including Hawaiʻi, have secured a preliminary injunction that temporarily halts the efforts by Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. to dismantle the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). This federal court order ensures the continued operation of crucial programs and services provided by HHS.
The coalition initially filed a lawsuit on May 5, 2025, to challenge what they described as a “sweeping and unlawful directive” that had severely hampered HHS’s ability to perform its vital functions. Today, Judge Melissa R. Dubose of the United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island granted the preliminary injunction, specifically blocking the administration’s mass layoffs at several key HHS agencies as the case proceeds through the courts.
Governor Josh Green, M.D., emphasized the critical role of HHS. “The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is a cornerstone of our national health infrastructure, delivering vital services that protect our communities, from ensuring access to affordable healthcare to safeguarding public health during times of crisis,” Governor Green stated. “Dismantling this essential agency would not only jeopardize healthcare for millions of Americans but would undermine decades of health and mental health care progress. None of this is remotely ‘Making America Healthy Again.’ As Governor, I stand firm in supporting the preservation of institutions like HHS that directly contribute to the health and well-being of Hawaiʻi’s citizens.”
Attorney General Lopez echoed these sentiments, stating, “My department is committed to uphold the rule of law, and this decision underscores that Secretary Kennedy’s actions were plainly unlawful. We will continue to fight for the people of Hawaiʻi and our rights to receive crucial services from the federal government required to be provided by law.”
The legal challenge stemmed from Secretary Kennedy’s March 27 announcement of a sweeping restructuring plan for HHS. This plan sought to consolidate 28 agencies into 15, resulting in the abrupt termination of 10,000 employees without warning. Many affected workers reportedly discovered they were fired only after being locked out of their offices and deactivated from government systems, leaving key HHS offices in disarray.
In their lawsuit, Attorney General Lopez and the multistate coalition argued that this overhaul immediately jeopardized lives and created chaos within crucial federal systems. They highlighted impacts such as the cutoff of federal support for Head Start centers, the suspension of maternal health data collection, and the near-shuttering of disease monitoring at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Additionally, the entire team responsible for updating federal poverty guidelines – a critical tool for determining eligibility for programs like SNAP, Medicaid, and housing assistance – was terminated.
Judge DuBose’s ruling today specifically blocks further implementation of the restructuring and prevents the termination of employees across four critical offices:
The CDC, including the National Institute of Occupational Safety and HealthThe Center for Tobacco Products
The Office of Head Start
The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and EvaluationThe State of Hawaiʻi is represented in this matter by Solicitor General Kalikoʻonālani Fernandes and Special Assistant to the Attorney General Dave Day.
The coalition of attorneys general joining Hawaiʻi in this lawsuit includes Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Michigan, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia.