Since January 2025, more than 10,000 federal attorneys have left their government positions, representing approximately one-fifth of the federal legal workforce. A Fox News Digital review found that over 100 of these departing lawyers have transitioned to Democratic attorneys general's offices in states like Oregon, California, and New Jersey. Many of these individuals are experienced career civil servants rather than political appointees, and they are now actively involved in litigation challenging the Trump administration's policies on transgender healthcare, research grants, and National Guard deployments. While Democratic officials describe this as a vital coalition to protect the rule of law, the Department of Justice maintains that the departures are part of an effort to reduce government size and that the agency remains highly efficient. The exodus has reportedly impacted the administration's ability to defend specific policies, particularly within the Office of Immigration Litigation.