Case: Cabrera v. Department of Labor

1:25-cv-01909 | U.S. District Court for the District of District of Columbia

Filed Date: June 18, 2025

Case Ongoing

Clearinghouse coding complete

Case Summary

This case challenged the U.S. Department of Labor’s decision to suspend the federal Job Corps program. On June 18, seven Job Corps students filed this lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, seeking to represent a nationwide class of participants in the program. The plaintiffs, represented by Public Citizen Litigation Group and the Southern Poverty Law Center, sued the Department of Labor (DOL) and the Secretary of Labor. They alleged that DOL violated multiple provisio…

This case challenged the U.S. Department of Labor’s decision to suspend the federal Job Corps program. On June 18, seven Job Corps students filed this lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, seeking to represent a nationwide class of participants in the program. The plaintiffs, represented by Public Citizen Litigation Group and the Southern Poverty Law Center, sued the Department of Labor (DOL) and the Secretary of Labor. They alleged that DOL violated multiple provisions of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), the Administrative Procedure Act (APA), and the Impoundment Control Act when it ordered all 99 contractor-operated Job Corps centers to shut down by June 30, 2025.

This case was assigned to Judge Dabney Langhorne Friedrich.

The plaintiff alleged, DOL issued shutdown instructions in May 2025 that halted housing, training, medical care, and educational services provided to low-income young people through Job Corps. Plaintiffs claimed that DOL failed to comply with WIOA’s mandatory public notice-and-comment procedures for center closures, ignored its own performance-based closure criteria, and lacked legal authority to unilaterally suspend the program. They further argued that the action was arbitrary, capricious, and unlawfully withheld congressionally appropriated funds.

The plaintiffs moved for a preliminary injunction (PI) and a stay under 5 U.S.C. § 705, seeking to block the shutdown and require DOL to maintain operations pending final judgment. They submitted declarations describing how the suspension had already displaced students and interrupted vital services. DOL opposed the motion, contending that it had not formally “closed” any centers and that its actions were merely a pause consistent with agency discretion. It also challenged plaintiffs’ standing and argued that the case was contractual in nature and thus not properly before the court.

On July 2, the plaintiffs filed a reply defending the court’s jurisdiction and emphasizing that the shutdown order amounted to a closure under the plain meaning of the statute. They maintained that DOL’s justifications—including financial concerns and references to a transparency report—did not excuse its failure to follow required procedures or consider alternatives. They also disputed DOL’s claim that students would not suffer irreparable harm, pointing to housing loss, disrupted training, and unmet medical needs.

The motion for preliminary injunction remains pending. The case is ongoing.

Summary Authors

Brian Chen (7/3/2025)

People

For PACER's information on parties and their attorneys, see: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/70571907/parties/cabrera-v-us-department-of-labor/


Judge(s)

Friedrich, Dabney Langhorne (District of Columbia)

Attorney for Plaintiff

Ago, Arthur (District of Columbia)

Boyd, Samuel T.S. (District of Columbia)

Kirkpatrick, Michael T. (District of Columbia)

Attorney for Defendant

Iqbal, Zareen (District of Columbia)

Expert/Monitor/Master/Other

show all people

Documents in the Clearinghouse

Document
1

1:25-cv-01909

Class Action Complaint for Declaratory and Injunctive Relief

Cabrera v. C.D.

June 18, 2025

June 18, 2025

Complaint

Docket

See docket on RECAP: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/70571907/cabrera-v-us-department-of-labor/

Last updated July 7, 2025, 9:50 a.m.

ECF Number Description Date Link Date / Link
1

COMPLAINT against All Defendants ( Filing fee $ 405 receipt number ADCDC-11763355) filed by ABIGAIL SHAUGER, MADDEX DAVIS-NEWMAN, C.D., DEONDRE BURKES, ANARIA CABRERA, ATHENA SASSER, LOGAN CHRISTENSEN. (Attachments: # 1 Civil Cover Sheet, # 2 Summons U.S. Department of Labor, # 3 Summons Chavez-DeRemer, # 4 Summons Attorney General, # 5 Summons USAO)(Pulver, Adam) (Entered: 06/18/2025)

June 18, 2025

June 18, 2025

Clearinghouse

Case Assigned/Reassigned

June 18, 2025

June 18, 2025

PACER

Status Report Order

June 18, 2025

June 18, 2025

PACER
2

NOTICE of Appearance by Michael T. Kirkpatrick on behalf of All Plaintiffs (Kirkpatrick, Michael) (Entered: 06/18/2025)

June 18, 2025

June 18, 2025

PACER
3

MOTION for Preliminary Injunction, MOTION to Stay by DEONDRE BURKES, C.D., ANARIA CABRERA, LOGAN CHRISTENSEN, MADDEX DAVIS-NEWMAN, ATHENA SASSER, ABIGAIL SHAUGER. (Attachments: # 1 Memorandum in Support, # 2 Declaration of Adam R. Pulver, # 3 Declaration of Anaria Cabrera, # 4 Declaration of Deondre Burkes, # 5 Declaration of Maddex Davis-Newman, # 6 Declaration of Athena Sasser, # 7 Declaration of Logan Christensen, # 8 Declaration of Abigail Shauger, # 9 Declaration of Tiffany Davis, # 10 Text of Proposed Order)(Pulver, Adam) (Entered: 06/18/2025)

June 18, 2025

June 18, 2025

PACER
4

MOTION to Certify Class by DEONDRE BURKES, C.D., ANARIA CABRERA, LOGAN CHRISTENSEN, MADDEX DAVIS-NEWMAN, ATHENA SASSER, ABIGAIL SHAUGER. (Attachments: # 1 Memorandum in Support of Class Certification, # 2 Declaration of Adam Pulver, # 3 Declaration of Scott McCoy, # 4 Text of Proposed Order)(Kirkpatrick, Michael) (Entered: 06/18/2025)

June 18, 2025

June 18, 2025

PACER

Case Assigned to Judge Dabney L. Friedrich. (znmw)

June 18, 2025

June 18, 2025

PACER
5

SUMMONS (4) Issued Electronically as to All Defendants, U.S. Attorney and U.S. Attorney General (Attachments: # 1 Notice and Consent)(znmw) (Entered: 06/18/2025)

June 18, 2025

June 18, 2025

PACER
6

NOTICE of Appearance by Arthur Ago on behalf of All Plaintiffs (Ago, Arthur) (Entered: 06/18/2025)

June 18, 2025

June 18, 2025

PACER

MINUTE ORDER directing the parties to confer and jointly propose a briefing and hearing schedule regarding the plaintiffs' 3 Motion for Preliminary Injunction and 4 Motion to Certify Class on or before June 20, 2025. So ordered by Judge Dabney L. Friedrich on June 18, 2025 (lcdlf3)

June 18, 2025

June 18, 2025

PACER
7

NOTICE of Appearance by Zareen Iqbal on behalf of All Defendants (Iqbal, Zareen) (Entered: 06/19/2025)

June 19, 2025

June 19, 2025

PACER

Notice of Provisional/Government Not Certified Status

June 20, 2025

June 20, 2025

PACER

Scheduling Order

June 20, 2025

June 20, 2025

PACER

RESOLVED.....NOTICE of Provisional/Government Not Certified Status re 6 NOTICE of Appearance by Arthur Ago on behalf of All Plaintiffs (Ago, Arthur).Your attorney renewal/government certification has not been received. As a result, your membership with the U.S. District & Bankruptcy Courts for the District of Columbia is not in good standing, and you are not permitted to file. Pursuant to Local Civil Rule 83.9, you must immediately correct your membership status by following the appropriate instructions on this page of our website: https://www.dcd.uscourts.gov/attorney-renewal. Please be advised that the presiding judge in this case has been notified that you are currently not in good standing to file in this court. Renewal Due by 6/27/2025. (zapb) Modified on 6/20/2025 (zapb).

June 20, 2025

June 20, 2025

PACER
8

PROPOSED BRIEFING SCHEDULE re 3 MOTION for Preliminary Injunction MOTION to Stay, 4 MOTION to Certify Class by DEONDRE BURKES, C.D., ANARIA CABRERA, LOGAN CHRISTENSEN, MADDEX DAVIS-NEWMAN, ATHENA SASSER, ABIGAIL SHAUGER. (Attachments: # 1 Text of Proposed Order)(Pulver, Adam) (Entered: 06/20/2025)

June 20, 2025

June 20, 2025

PACER

MINUTE ORDER. Upon consideration of the parties' proposal in their 8 Joint Proposed Briefing and Schedule, and in light of the fact that another court has entered a temporary restraining order (TRO) prohibiting the Department of Labor from taking steps to effectuate the elimination of the Job Corps program, Natl Job Corps Assn v. DOL, No. 25-cv-04641, 2025 WL 1577843, at *1 (S.D.N.Y. June 4, 2025), has extended that order through June 25, 2025, see Minute Order, NJCA, Dkt. 54 (S.D.N.Y. June 17, 2025), and may extend it further, see Joint Proposed Briefing and Schedule, Dkt. 8, at 2, the Court adopts the following schedule: The defendants shall file their opposition to the plaintiffs' 3 Motion for Preliminary Injunction on or before June 27, 2025, and the plaintiffs shall file their reply on or before July 2, 2025. It is further ORDERED that the defendants shall file their opposition to the plaintiffs' 4 Motion to Certify Class on or before July 7, 2025, and the plaintiffs shall file their reply on or before July 14, 2025.Finally, the Court will hold a hearing on the plaintiffs' 3 Motion for a Preliminary Injunction on July 9, 2025 at 1:00 p.m. in Courtroom 24A. If the existing injunction is not extended before the defendants' deadline to close Job Corps centers at the end of June 2025, the plaintiffs may file a motion for temporary restraining order. See Minute Order, NJCA, ECF 54 (S.D.N.Y. June 17, 2025). So ordered by Judge Dabney L. Friedrich on June 20, 2025 (lcdlf3)

June 20, 2025

June 20, 2025

PACER
9

STANDARD ORDER in Civil Cases. See text for details. Signed by Judge Dabney L. Friedrich on June 20, 2025 (lcdlf3) (Entered: 06/20/2025)

June 20, 2025

June 20, 2025

PACER
10

NOTICE TO THE COURT by LORI CHAVEZ-DEREMER, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR (Iqbal, Zareen) (Entered: 06/21/2025)

June 21, 2025

June 21, 2025

RECAP
11

MOTION for Leave to Appear Pro Hac Vice :Attorney Name- Carli Raben, Filing fee $ 100, receipt number ADCDC-11778503. Fee Status: Fee Paid. by DEONDRE BURKES, C.D., ANARIA CABRERA, LOGAN CHRISTENSEN, MADDEX DAVIS-NEWMAN, ATHENA SASSER, ABIGAIL SHAUGER. (Attachments: # 1 Declaration of Carli Raben, # 2 Exhibit Certificate of Good Standing for Carli Raben, # 3 Text of Proposed Order Proposed Order - Carli Raben)(Ago, Arthur) (Entered: 06/26/2025)

June 26, 2025

June 26, 2025

PACER

Order on Motion for Leave to Appear Pro Hac Vice

June 26, 2025

June 26, 2025

PACER

Order on Motion for Leave to Appear Pro Hac Vice AND Order on Motion for Leave to Appear Pro Hac Vice

June 26, 2025

June 26, 2025

PACER

MINUTE ORDER granting 11 Motion for Leave to Appear Pro Hac Vice. Counsel should register for e-filing via PACER and file a notice of appearance pursuant to LCvR 83.6(a). Click for instructions. So Ordered by Judge Dabney L. Friedrich on June 26, 2025. (lcdlf2)

June 26, 2025

June 26, 2025

PACER
12

MOTION for Leave to Appear Pro Hac Vice :Attorney Name- Scott McCoy, Filing fee $ 100, receipt number ADCDC-11779315. Fee Status: Fee Paid. by DEONDRE BURKES, C.D., ANARIA CABRERA, LOGAN CHRISTENSEN, MADDEX DAVIS-NEWMAN, ATHENA SASSER, ABIGAIL SHAUGER. (Attachments: # 1 Declaration of Scott McCoy, # 2 Exhibit Certificate of Good Standing for Scott McCoy, # 3 Text of Proposed Order Proposed Order - Scott McCoy)(Ago, Arthur) (Entered: 06/26/2025)

June 26, 2025

June 26, 2025

PACER
13

MOTION for Leave to Appear Pro Hac Vice :Attorney Name- Samuel Boyd, Filing fee $ 100, receipt number ADCDC-11779654. Fee Status: Fee Paid. by DEONDRE BURKES, C.D., ANARIA CABRERA, LOGAN CHRISTENSEN, MADDEX DAVIS-NEWMAN, ATHENA SASSER, ABIGAIL SHAUGER. (Attachments: # 1 Declaration of Samuel Boyd, # 2 Exhibit Certificate of Good Standing for Samuel Boyd, # 3 Text of Proposed Order Proposed Order - Samuel Boyd)(Ago, Arthur) (Entered: 06/26/2025)

June 26, 2025

June 26, 2025

PACER

MINUTE ORDER granting [12, 13] Motions for Leave to Appear Pro Hac Vice. Counsel should register for e-filing via PACER and file a notice of appearance pursuant to LCvR 83.6(a). Click for instructions. (lcdlf2) Modified on 6/27/2025 (zsmc).

June 26, 2025

June 26, 2025

PACER
14

MOTION for Leave to Appear Pro Hac Vice :Attorney Name- Diego Soto, Filing fee $ 100, receipt number ADCDC-11779795. Fee Status: Fee Paid. by DEONDRE BURKES, C.D., ANARIA CABRERA, LOGAN CHRISTENSEN, MADDEX DAVIS-NEWMAN, ATHENA SASSER, ABIGAIL SHAUGER. (Attachments: # 1 Declaration of Diego Soto, # 2 Exhibit Certificate of Good Standing - Diego Soto, # 3 Text of Proposed Order Proposed Order - Diego Soto)(Ago, Arthur) (Entered: 06/26/2025)

June 26, 2025

June 26, 2025

PACER
15

MOTION for Leave to Appear Pro Hac Vice :Attorney Name- Michael Tafelski, Filing fee $ 100, receipt number ADCDC-11779947. Fee Status: Fee Paid. by DEONDRE BURKES, C.D., ANARIA CABRERA, LOGAN CHRISTENSEN, MADDEX DAVIS-NEWMAN, ATHENA SASSER, ABIGAIL SHAUGER. (Attachments: # 1 Declaration of Michael Tafelski, # 2 Exhibit Certificate of Good Standing for Michael Tafelski, # 3 Text of Proposed Order Proposed Order - Michael Tafelski)(Ago, Arthur) (Entered: 06/26/2025)

June 26, 2025

June 26, 2025

PACER
16

MOTION for Leave to Appear Pro Hac Vice :Attorney Name- Aaron Fleisher, Filing fee $ 100, receipt number ADCDC-11780076. Fee Status: Fee Paid. by DEONDRE BURKES, C.D., ANARIA CABRERA, LOGAN CHRISTENSEN, MADDEX DAVIS-NEWMAN, ATHENA SASSER, ABIGAIL SHAUGER. (Attachments: # 1 Declaration of Aaron Fleisher, # 2 Exhibit Certificate of Good Standing for Aaron Fleisher, # 3 Text of Proposed Order Proposed Order - Aaron Fleisher)(Ago, Arthur) (Entered: 06/26/2025)

June 26, 2025

June 26, 2025

PACER
17

NOTICE of Appearance by Samuel T.S. Boyd on behalf of All Plaintiffs (Boyd, Samuel) (Main Document 17 replaced on 7/1/2025) (zdp). (Entered: 06/27/2025)

June 27, 2025

June 27, 2025

PACER

Order on Motion for Leave to Appear Pro Hac Vice AND Order on Motion for Leave to Appear Pro Hac Vice AND Order on Motion for Leave to Appear Pro Hac Vice

June 27, 2025

June 27, 2025

PACER

MINUTE ORDER granting the 14, 15, 16 Motions for Leave to Appear Pro Hac Vice. Counsel should register for e-filing via PACER and file a notice of appearance pursuant to LCvR 83.6(a). Click for instructions. So Ordered by Judge Dabney L. Friedrich on June 27, 2025. (lcdlf2)

June 27, 2025

June 27, 2025

PACER
18

NOTICE of Appearance by Carli Sean Raben on behalf of All Plaintiffs (Raben, Carli) (Main Document 18 replaced on 7/1/2025) (zdp). (Entered: 06/27/2025)

June 27, 2025

June 27, 2025

PACER
19

NOTICE of Appearance by Michael Joseph Tafelski on behalf of All Plaintiffs (Tafelski, Michael) (Main Document 19 replaced on 7/1/2025) (zdp). (Entered: 06/27/2025)

June 27, 2025

June 27, 2025

RECAP
20

Memorandum in opposition to re 3 MOTION for Preliminary Injunction MOTION to Stay filed by LORI CHAVEZ-DEREMER, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR. (Attachments: # 1 Affidavit, # 2 Affidavit, # 3 Affidavit)(Iqbal, Zareen) (Entered: 06/28/2025)

1 Affidavit

View on RECAP

2 Affidavit

View on RECAP

3 Affidavit

View on RECAP

June 27, 2025

June 27, 2025

RECAP
21

NOTICE of Proposed Order by LORI CHAVEZ-DEREMER, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR re 20 Memorandum in Opposition, (Iqbal, Zareen) (Entered: 06/28/2025)

June 28, 2025

June 28, 2025

RECAP
22

RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed as to the United States Attorney. Date of Service Upon United States Attorney on 6/18/2025. Answer due for ALL FEDERAL DEFENDANTS by 8/17/2025. (Pulver, Adam) (Entered: 06/29/2025)

June 29, 2025

June 29, 2025

PACER
23

NOTICE by LORI CHAVEZ-DEREMER, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR re 20 Memorandum in Opposition, (Attachments: # 1 Exhibit Exhibit 6 Doc. No. 20-1)(Iqbal, Zareen) (Entered: 07/01/2025)

1 Exhibit Exhibit 6 Doc. No. 20-1

View on PACER

July 1, 2025

July 1, 2025

PACER
24

RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR served on 7/1/2025 (Attachments: # 1 Exhibit Delivery Confirmation)(Kirkpatrick, Michael) (Entered: 07/02/2025)

1 Exhibit Delivery Confirmation

View on PACER

July 2, 2025

July 2, 2025

PACER
25

RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed. LORI CHAVEZ-DEREMER served on 7/1/2025 (Attachments: # 1 Exhibit Delivery Confirmation)(Kirkpatrick, Michael) (Entered: 07/02/2025)

1 Exhibit Delivery Confirmation

View on PACER

July 2, 2025

July 2, 2025

PACER
26

NOTICE of Appearance by Zane Muller on behalf of STATE OF WASHINGTON (Muller, Zane) (Entered: 07/02/2025)

July 2, 2025

July 2, 2025

PACER
27

AMICUS BRIEF in support of Plaintiff's Motion for Preliminary Injunction by STATE OF WASHINGTON. (Muller, Zane) (Entered: 07/02/2025)

July 2, 2025

July 2, 2025

PACER
28

REPLY to opposition to motion re 3 Motion for Preliminary Injunction,,, Motion to Stay,, filed by DEONDRE BURKES, C.D., ANARIA CABRERA, LOGAN CHRISTENSEN, MADDEX DAVIS-NEWMAN, ATHENA SASSER, ABIGAIL SHAUGER. (Pulver, Adam) (Entered: 07/02/2025)

July 2, 2025

July 2, 2025

RECAP
29

RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed on United States Attorney General. Date of Service Upon United States Attorney General 07/03/2025. (Attachments: # 1 Exhibit Delivery Confirmation)(Kirkpatrick, Michael) (Entered: 07/03/2025)

July 3, 2025

July 3, 2025

PACER
30

Notice of Appearance

July 3, 2025

July 3, 2025

PACER
31

Notice of Appearance

July 3, 2025

July 3, 2025

PACER

Case Details