Musk's cuts at US Social Security agency are illegal, lawsuit claims
Source: Reuters
April 2, 2025 8:36 PM EDT Updated 11 hours ago
April 2 (Reuters) - Disability rights groups filed a lawsuit on Wednesday claiming the Trump administration and billionaire Elon Musk broke various laws by firing thousands of workers and shuttering offices at the U.S. Social Security Administration.
Five groups and seven social security beneficiaries in the lawsuit filed in Washington, D.C., federal court said the cuts at the SSA have disproportionately impacted beneficiaries with disabilities and violated their rights under the U.S. Constitution. Musk's Department of Government Efficiency has spearheaded an aggressive campaign to purge the federal workforce, including firing about 7,000 SSA employees, and slash government spending.
The SSA, which sends checks to 73 million retired and disabled Americans each month, is seen as a crucial provider of benefits to elderly Americans. It is one of the few government agencies traditionally seen as off limits for cuts by U.S. politicians. Wednesday's lawsuit focuses on the mass firings and the closure of offices that investigated civil rights complaints and provided customer service to Social Security beneficiaries.
"The elimination of civil rights enforcement and customer service offices, the closure of offices, and the mass reduction of SSA’s workforce do not promote efficiency - they sabotage the agency’s fundamental mission," they said. The White House and the SSA did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Read more: https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/musks-cuts-us-social-security-agency-are-illegal-lawsuit-claims-2025-04-03/
Link to SUIT (PDF) - https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/25877777/aapdvdudekcomp040225.pdf
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