Harris County lawsuit cites threat to hurricane season preparedness

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas — Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo and County Attorney Christian Menefee are expected to hold a press conference Tuesday morning to announce a lawsuit against the Trump administration. The officials say the legal action is in response to what they describe as an unlawful reorganization of the federal government.

The press conference is scheduled for 11:30 a.m.

According to Hidalgo and Menefee, the restructuring efforts have already triggered mass layoffs across federal agencies and could lead to the closure of local Social Security field offices. They say these cuts also pose significant risks to emergency management operations as the region approaches hurricane season.

This all comes down to pushing back on what they call an unlawful organization of the federal government.

Citing data from CNN, county officials say more than 120,000 federal workers have been fired or laid off in the first three months of President Donald Trump’s current term — more than double the number of job losses in any other sector. The figure does not include employees who accepted voluntary buyouts or were placed on administrative leave.

Hidalgo and Menefee also plan to address other recent lawsuits filed by the county to protect public health funding and other critical local resources.