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BREAKING: The Washington Post, Nov. 13, 2025: “Trump administration prepares to fire worker for TV interview about SNAP,” See article.
BOSTON — A federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program employee who warned the public about the nation’s hunger crisis now faces termination, prompting Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., federal workers, labor and community allies to rally in support on Friday in Boston.
Rep. Pressley is planning to send a letter Friday to the U.S. Department of Agriculture urging the agency to reverse its proposed termination of Ellen Mei, a union leader and USDA/Food and Nutrition Service employee in the Northeast Region.
Mei, who is President of NTEU Chapter 255 and an organizer with the Federal Unionists Network, received a notice of proposed termination on Oct. 3, one day after appearing in a nationally televised interview in which she raised concerns about SNAP cuts, staffing shortages and disruptions to food security services.
Pressley and supporters will rally in Boston in front of the Tip O’Neill Federal Building to call for reinstating Mei, restoring staffing and funding at FNS offices, and protecting federal workers’ rights.
Mei has worked for more than five years administering SNAP across seven states and the U.S. Virgin Islands. She said she was exercising her First Amendment rights when she spoke publicly about food insecurity during the shutdown.
“I didn’t leak secrets or share anything confidential,” said Mei. “I told the truth about what’s happening to hungry families and the people who serve them. I took an oath to serve the public — not to stay quiet while our government turns its back on the American people.”
Pressley called for Mei’s immediate reinstatement and said federal workers must be free to speak about threats to essential public services.
“Our federal workers and the essential services they provide communities have been under attack by the Trump Administration long before their record setting, manufactured government shutdown, but the retaliatory firing of Ellen Mei for exercising her protected right to free speech is egregious and dangerous,” said Congresswoman Pressley. “While communities scrambled to mitigate Trump’s attempts to deny families their SNAP benefits despite court orders, Trump and the USDA were working around the clock to stifle Ellen’s voice and dissuade others from standing up and speaking out. That’s why I’m fighting for Ellen and dedicated federal workers like her who took an oath to serve and give back to our communities daily—to literally feed our neighbors. USDA must immediately reinstate her and allow her to get back to the service she has been called to and provided with distinction.”
Food security organizations say the shutdown worsened an already growing crisis. Cuts to federal nutrition programs, rising grocery costs and significant staff losses across USDA have contributed to delays, backlogs and reduced access to food aid. There are more than 42 million people who receive monthly food assistance through SNAP.
“At the Allston Brighton Food Pantry, we see the consequences of policy decisions every day,” said the Rev. Dr. Matthew R. Rasure, the pantry’s director of development. “Cutting SNAP destabilizes working families already stretched to the limit. The harm doesn’t end when the government reopens.”
Since January, more than 18,000 USDA workers have left or been forced out, including about one third of the staff who administer food and nutrition programs. The Trump Administration in July also approved a $186 billion reduction to SNAP over 10 years and advanced plans to close several regional USDA offices.
Supporters say Mei’s proposed termination violates federal labor law, including Section 7116 of Title 5, which prohibits retaliation against employees acting on behalf of their union. Courts have also repeatedly affirmed that public employees retain First Amendment protections when speaking on matters of public concern.
Union leaders say the case reflects a broader trend: 300,000 workers have been targeted and purged from the federal workforce, and more than 445,000 federal workers have lost collective bargaining rights since the administration began restricting union activity and revoking labor protections.
Advocates also note that the administration’s assault on the federal workforce has disproportionate consequences for workers of color, who make up a significant share of employees in public-facing agencies such as USDA, HUD and Social Security. They say cuts to staffing, retaliation against whistleblowers and efforts to weaken collective bargaining rights undermine not only essential public services but also decades of progress in expanding access to stable, middle-class federal jobs for Black, Latino and immigrant workers. The result, they argue, is an attack on both economic and racial justice at the very moment when hunger and poverty are deepening nationwide.
“An injury to one is an injury to all,” said Lea Serena, Vice President of the Boston Teachers Union. “From union members being fired for political dissent, to the stripping of federal workers’ bargaining rights, Ellen’s case is representative of what our union siblings across the country continue to face. Silencing a worker for telling the truth doesn't just violate their rights, it undermines every union member's ability to advocate for the public good. If we have any hope of maintaining our constitutionally given rights as unionists, then it is imperative that we, and all of our members, stand in solidarity with Ellen Mei."
Advocates said Mei’s case comes amid an escalation of federal actions aimed at silencing dissent, including high-profile cases involving labor advocates and immigrant rights leaders.
Friday’s rally will mark the launch of a national effort led by federal unionists and allies to push for fully staffed and functioning USDA food programs, oppose reorganizations and cuts, and defend federal workers from retaliation.
Contact: Anna Bakalis
Email: anna.bakalis@federalunionists.net Phone: 323-770-4477
The Federal Unionists Network is a coalition of federal workers, union members and public servants organizing to defend democracy, protect public service and uphold the oath to serve the American people.
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