Judge Orders Reinstatement of 400 AmeriCorps Workers and $400 million in Funding and Grants

Federal District Court Judge Matthew Maddox issued a preliminary injunction ordering reinstatement of about 400 AmeriCorps workers who were terminated without notice 15 April 2025 as well as restoration of $400 million in funding and grants.

The case before Maddox was brought by non-profit groups around the country, an AmeriCorps labor union and three AmeriCorps members. In April, about 600 (85%) of AmeriCorps workers were abruptly put on administrative leave, locked out of email and facilities, and set up to be fired two weeks later.

Maddox said plaintiffs were likely to win on the merits of their case that the abrupt cuts occurred without authority, did not adhere to procedures and were likely to inflict irreparable harm.

The ruling comes two days after a similar ruling by federal District Court Judge Deborah Boardman in a case brought by 24 states and the District of Columbia against the cuts by Elon Musk’s “Department of Government Efficiency,” a subset of a White House IT team that is not a government department. Maddox heavily quoted Boardman in his decision.

Maddox required a status report from the federal government in 24 hours to confirm all parties are notified about his order and compliance is underway. Status updates to him will be due every two weeks.

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