Court Ruling — C.D. Cal, 2025

**Court Rules Against Federal Employee in Passport-Related Lawsuit** A federal employee sued the U.S. government claiming breach of contract and seeking compensation under the Fifth Amendment after issues arose with his passport. The employee argued that the government's actions violated his rights and that he deserved payment for damages related to his passport. The court dismissed the entire case. It ruled that it didn't have the legal authority to hear the employee's claims under the Administrative Procedure Act. More importantly, the court found that the employee had no valid claim for compensation because passports belong to the U.S. government, not to individual citizens or employees. Since the passport wasn't his personal property, the government couldn't have violated his property rights by taking or restricting it. This ruling matters for workers because it clarifies that government employees cannot sue for compensation when the government controls or restricts their passports. It reinforces that passports are government property, even though individuals use them for travel. Federal employees facing passport issues should understand they likely cannot seek monetary damages through the courts, as passports are not considered personal property under the law.