The Trump administration is being sued by a coalition of 19 Democratic-led states and the District of Columbia over accusations it gutted the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in a “restructuring” effort that slashed thousands of jobs.

The lawsuit, filed by New York Attorney General Letitia James, argues that the abrupt elimination of 10,000 HHS employees, the consolidation of 28 agencies into 15, and the closure of half of the department’s regional offices constitute what the plaintiffs call an “unconstitutional dismantling” of the federal health system.

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