US Judges Order Reinstatement of Thousands of Workers After Trump Administration’s Mass Firings
Two federal judges have ordered the Trump administration to reinstate thousands of probationary federal workers who were fired as part of mass layoffs across multiple agencies. The lawsuit, led by 20 Democratic attorneys general, argues that the abrupt firings overwhelmed state unemployment systems and violated due process protections for federal employees.
Judge William Alsup, ruling in San Francisco, found that the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) ordered the terminations without the legal authority to do so. Meanwhile, Judge Bredar in Baltimore ruled that the administration failed to follow federal laws requiring 60 days' advance notice for mass layoffs. The judges’ rulings temporarily halt the layoffs and require agencies to reinstate employees by March 17th.
The rulings are a major setback for President Trump’s push to shrink the federal workforce, a plan spearheaded by his top adviser, Elon Musk. While the administration claims the firings were based on individual performance, Judge James Bredar stated, "The sheer number of employees that were terminated in a matter of days belies any argument that these terminations were due to the employees' individual unsatisfactory performance or conduct."
The White House has vowed to appeal, with press secretary Karoline Leavitt calling the rulings an "absurd and unconstitutional order" that interferes with the president’s authority. Despite the court’s decision, the administration is still pressing agencies to submit plans for additional workforce reductions. Meanwhile, federal employees remain uncertain about their job security, with some fearing they could be laid off again as agencies move forward with new cost-cutting measures.
