Washington DC - New York has joined with other Democrat-led states in suing President Donald Trump's administration over the indiscriminate firing of tens of thousands of federal employees.

A lawsuit has been filed by New York Attorney General (AG) Letitia James and a coalition of 19 other attorneys general, who claim that the mass firings were illegal.

"The administration is required to provide advance notice of mass layoffs to employees and states so that states can mobilize resources needed to process unemployment claims and care for unemployed workers," read a press release from AG James' office on Thursday.

"The Trump administration's illegal mass firings of federal workers are a slap in the face to those who have spent their careers serving our country," James said.

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Under federal law, mass layoffs must be preceded with a 60-day notice period, allowing states and agencies to organize redundancies and support for the fired workers to find alternative employment, get their personal finances in order, and avoid having to rely on social services.

The lawsuit emphasizes the experiences that laid off staff are having and the strain that Trump and Musk's decisions are having on families around the country.

"This campaign has inflicted immense harms on tens of thousands of probationary employees and their families," the lawsuit said.

"As a result, many affected employees and their families are struggling to make ends meet – to pay rent, buy groceries, and care for their loved ones."

Trump's administration is facing legal action across much of the country, in many cases related to actions taken by far-right billionaire Elon Musk's so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

On Wednesday, the Supreme Court rejected a request from the Trump administration to freeze $2 billion in foreign aid.