In the hours following President Donald Trump’s second inauguration, the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), the largest union for federal workers, initiated a lawsuit against Trump and the Office of Management and Budget while urging Congress to safeguard government employees' positions. The lawsuit contends that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is in violation of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA). "DOGE has begun formulating recommendations and impacting decision-making within the new administration, even though its membership lacks the required balance mandated by FACA, and its meetings and records are not accessible for real-time public scrutiny, " the complaint states. AFGE National President Everett Kelley has also criticized Trump’s series of executive orders aimed at abolishing federal telework and diversity programs, implementing a federal hiring freeze, and reintroducing at-will employment policies that could facilitate the dismissal of certain federal employees. Kelley has called on Congress to step in to protect federal workers from being dismissed without cause. "AFGE will not remain passive while a secretive group of ultra-wealthy individuals, with significant conflicts of interest, attempt to ease regulations that benefit themselves and secure favorable government contracts at the expense of civil servants and the institutions meant to serve the American public, " Kelley expressed in a statement. He further noted, "This battle is about fairness, accountability, and maintaining the integrity of our government. Federal employees are not the issue—they are part of the solution. They deserve a voice in decisions impacting their work, their agencies, and the communities they serve. " -ABC News' Beatrice Peterson President Donald Trump’s contentious executive order on birthright citizenship will undergo its first legal examination in a Seattle court on Thursday morning. U. S. District Judge John Coughenour has scheduled a hearing at 10 a. m.

to address a request from four states for a temporary restraining order against Trump’s executive order. On Tuesday, the attorneys general of Arizona, Oregon, Washington, and Illinois filed a lawsuit against Trump, arguing that the order would disenfranchise over 150, 000 newborns annually. They likened Trump's executive order to the infamous Dred Scott decision by the Supreme Court. The 14th Amendment abolished the implications of Scott’s case by establishing what the plaintiffs describe as a “bright-line and nearly universal rule” that Trump now aims to violate. "The President and the federal government are attempting to impose a modern incarnation of Dred Scott. However, the Constitution does not empower the President, federal agencies, or anyone else to stipulate conditions for granting citizenship to individuals born in the United States, " their emergency motion stated. Coughenour, who was appointed by former President Ronald Reagan, will likely be the first judge to assess Trump’s executive order. -ABC News' Laura Romero and Peter Charalambous The Washington, D. C. Police Union, which represents members of the Metropolitan Police Department, expressed “dismay” over the recent pardons granted to individuals who violently assaulted police officers during the Capitol attack on January 6, 2021. “As an organization representing the interests of the 3, 000 courageous men and women who risk their lives daily to protect our communities, our position is clear—anyone who attacks a law enforcement officer must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, without exceptions, ” the union declared in a statement. “We remain committed to safeguarding the rights and interests of all police officers and ensuring that justice is implemented fairly and consistently, ” the statement concluded. -ABC News' Luke Barr