California Governor Gavin Newsom at the Vogue World: Hollywood Announcement at Chateau Marmont on March 26, 2025 in West Hollywood, California. (Photo by Michael Buckner/Variety via Getty Images)
Sacramento, California – California Governor Gavin Newsom announced Thursday evening that the state will file a lawsuit against the Trump administration over sweeping cuts to AmeriCorps, escalating a growing legal battle between the nation’s most populous state and the federal government.
The suit targets the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which placed most AmeriCorps employees on leave Wednesday as part of a broad cost-cutting push. The move threatens to cripple the national service program that sends tens of thousands of volunteers into underserved communities each year. Newsom characterized the cuts as a betrayal of American ideals and public service.
“We’ve gone from the New Deal, the New Frontier, and the Great Society to a federal government that gives the middle finger to volunteers serving their fellow Americans,” Newsom said in a sharply worded statement. The Democratic governor framed the cuts not just as administrative belt-tightening, but as an assault on the values of civic duty and national unity.
This marks the second lawsuit California has filed against the Trump administration in as many days. On Wednesday, Newsom and state Attorney General Rob Bonta sued over the president’s sweeping new tariffs, which California officials argue could cost the state billions and threaten industries ranging from agriculture to tech.
With the AmeriCorps lawsuit, California officials are taking particular aim at what they view as a cynical reimagining of federal priorities. DOGE, which has led the charge on the Trump administration’s aggressive downsizing of federal programs, claims the cuts are necessary to eliminate inefficiency. But Newsom’s team sees a deeper agenda at work.
“DOGE’s actions aren’t about making government work better — it’s about making communities weaker,” said Josh Fryday, California’s Chief Service Officer. “These actions will dismantle vital lifelines in communities across California.”
In a symbolic jab, the governor’s office included a quote from President John F. Kennedy — who launched the Peace Corps and laid the philosophical groundwork for AmeriCorps — to contrast the administration’s vision with what Newsom called “an inferior agenda for national service.”
Earlier this year, California lawmakers allocated $25 million to fund legal challenges against the Trump administration. With over a dozen lawsuits already filed since Trump began his second term, the state appears poised to continue its strategy of using the courts as a primary battleground in defending its policy priorities.
