Carson City, NV — Nevada Attorney General Aaron D. Ford has joined an amicus brief with attorneys general from 21 other states. The brief supports a proposed class of plaintiffs challenging the termination of Job Corps, a national program offering career training and housing to young Americans from low-income backgrounds. This marks the second time AG Ford has signed an amicus brief in support of Job Corps, following a previous filing co-led with Washington Attorney General Nick Brown in June.
"I've been speaking directly with Nevadans and hearing firsthand how tough things are right now. Working families are struggling, and young people — especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds — are desperately fighting for a chance at a better life," said AG Ford. "I will stand up in every way possible to protect Job Corps and the critical support it provides to Nevada's youth and, in that, the future of our state. The dismantling of this program is not only unlawful and unconstitutional, it's a direct threat to Nevada's future. Using our young adults as pawns in a political game is not just wrong — it's shameful. I will not stand quietly while this is happening."
Recently, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York issued a preliminary injunction favoring plaintiffs challenging National Job Corps Association et al. v. Department of Labor et al., acknowledging opposition from state coalitions against terminating the program. Today's filing urges maintaining an injunction on behalf of enrollees.
Job Corps operates nearly 100 residential campuses nationwide, facing threats from efforts by the Trump Administration to terminate it illegally, potentially leaving thousands homeless. The brief highlights that “in the sixty years since Congress created Job Corps, millions of young Americans from low-income backgrounds have been served by the program’s unique combination of education, training, housing, healthcare and community.”
The termination would affect tens of thousands currently enrolled across all fifty states. For instance, Reno's Sierra Nevada Job Corps Center graduates 500 vocational students annually; many were unhoused or in foster care before enrolling.
Today's amicus filing stresses that keeping an injunction is crucial for protecting vulnerable residents and promoting state goals in education and workforce development while emphasizing that federal law cannot be violated by terminating congressionally mandated programs.
The brief was filed in Cabrera et al. v. Department of Labor et al., U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, with AG Ford joined by attorneys general from Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York Oregon Rhode Island Vermont Washington Wisconsin.