California suing Elon Musk’s DOGE over AmeriCorps cuts, Gov. Gavin Newsom says actions give ‘middle finger to volunteers’

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — California Govenor Gavin Newsom announced Thursday night that the state has filed a lawsuit over DOGE’s actions to dismantly AmeriCorps.

This comes after AmeriCorps’ National Civilian Community Corps informed volunteers Tuesday that they would exit the program early “due to programmatic circumstances beyond your control,” according to an email obtained by The Associated Press.

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The unsigned memo to members said NCCC’s “ability to sustain program operations” was impacted by “new operational parameters” laid out by the Trump administration’s priorities and President Donald Trump’s executive order creating the Department of Government Efficiency. Members, who receive a living allowance and have basic expenses covered, would be paid through the end of April, according to the memo.

In a statement, Newsom said not only would they be challenging the cuts in court but the state would also accelerate the recruitment for the California Service Corps program.

“We’ve gone from the New Deal, the New Frontier, and the Great Society to a federal government that gives the middle finger to volunteers serving their fellow Americans. We will sue to stop this,” said Newsom.

AmeriCorps volunteers are especially visible after natural disasters, including Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and the devastating Los Angeles wildfires earlier this year. The organization said on social media last month that teams have served 8 million service hours on nearly 3,400 disaster projects since 1999.

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“DOGE’s actions aren’t about making government work better – it’s about making communities weaker,” said GO-Serve Director Josh Fryday. “These actions will dismantle vital lifelines in communities across California. AmeriCorps members are out in the field teaching children to read, supporting seniors and helping families recover after disasters. AmeriCorps is not bureaucracy; it’s boots on the ground.”

More than 2,000 people ages 18 to 26 serve for nearly a year, according to the program’s website, and get assigned to projects with nonprofits and community organizations or the Federal Emergency Management Agency. It celebrated its 30th year last year.

The Associated Press contributed to this article.