Voice of America employees file lawsuit against the Trump administration after president dismantled agency

Voice of America (VOA) employees filed a lawsuit against President Donald Trump's administration and Kari Lake on Thursday after Trump ordered the agency to be dismantled earlier this month.

"In many parts of the world, a crucial source of objective news is gone, and only censored state-sponsored news media is left to fill the void," the VOA employees argued in the lawsuit.

"The non-statutory components and functions of the following governmental entities shall be eliminated to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law, and such entities shall reduce the performance of their statutory functions and associated personnel to the minimum presence and function required by law," Trump's executive order read. 

Lake told employees to "check your email" for more information on the future of their employment in a post on social media.

The U.S. Agency for Global Media and Lake issued a press release on March 15 saying the agency is "not salvageable."

Patsy Widakuswara, the White House Bureau chief at VOA, and Jessica Jerreat, the press freedom editor at VOA, are the lead plaintiffs in the lawsuit.