AFGE President Everett Kelley decried President Trump's decision to reclassify federal workers, a move seen as paving the way for mass layoffs and undermining merit-based hiring, in a clear defense of workers' rights and a stand against authoritarian policies.

The Supreme Court halted a federal judge’s order to reinstate nearly 16,000 federal probationary workers, a move that undermines legal efforts by unions including the American Federation of Government Employees to advocate for workers' rights.

The American Federation of Government Employees joined other labor groups in opposing a Supreme Court order that granted the Trump administration emergency relief in a case involving the firing of federal workers. AFGE argued that the agency had unlawfully fired tens of thousands of workers and that reinstatement is a necessary remedy, signaling a strong stance against authoritarian measures that undermine worker rights.

AFGE president Everett Kelley condemned Trump's executive order ending collective bargaining rights for federal employees as a retaliatory attack on union rights, and announced that the union would take immediate legal action to defend its members and the principles of collective bargaining.

In response to President Trump’s executive order aimed at ending collective bargaining with federal labor unions in national security agencies, AFGE declared it will pursue immediate legal action and fight to protect the rights of its 820,000 members.

AFGE National President Everett Kelley issued a strong public statement condemning President Trump's executive order targeting federal employees' collective bargaining rights and announced plans for legal action to safeguard union rights and labor protections.

AFGE, along with several unions and journalists, filed a lawsuit in New York challenging the closure of the U.S. Agency for Global Media. The suit alleges that the shutdown—accompanied by directives to suspend operations and silence staff—violates the First Amendment, undermines the separation of powers, and attacks democratic principles. The union’s legal action is aimed at restoring the agency’s operations to protect free press and the rights of federal workers.

AFGE, along with other unions and federal workers, has joined a lawsuit challenging the closure of the U.S. Agency for Global Media. The action criticizes the government's shutdown of the agency as an attack on press freedom, democratic values, and the rights of workers, while emphasizing the protection of constitutionally guaranteed free speech.

On March 20, 2025, a local branch of the American Federation of Government Employees reported the abrupt termination of over a dozen federal library grants managed by the Institute of Museum and Library Services. The union attributed the cuts to politically motivated decisions by the Trump administration and actions by Elon Musk’s DOGE teams, warning of severe impacts on community services and federal workers.

AFGE, along with other labor organizations, filed a lawsuit on February 19, 2025, against the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) alleging that the agency's mass firing of probationary federal employees was illegal and politically motivated. The lawsuit challenges the use of false pretenses to terminate employees and seeks an injunction to halt further wrongful firings.

AFGE, along with AFSCME and legal partners, filed a lawsuit on January 29, 2025, challenging the Trump administration's efforts to politicize the civil service by attempting to roll back protections for federal employees. The legal action aims to defend the integrity of a non-partisan civil service and protect experienced workers from being replaced by politically motivated appointees.

AFGE, representing thousands of federal workers, secured a historic settlement with the VA that offers reinstatement or compensation for employees wrongfully terminated under the 2017 VA Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act, following a grievance over violations of collective bargaining agreements.

AFGE, in collaboration with AFL-CIO District 11, publicly endorsed the International Human Rights Defense Act on February 13, 2015. The Act, introduced by Senator Edward Markey and Representative Alan Lowenthal, aims to establish a special envoy in the State Department to advance human rights, particularly protecting LGBT individuals from state-led persecution. AFGE’s support emphasizes the union's long-standing commitment to defending civil and workers' rights and promoting anti-discrimination measures.