In a significant legal setback for the Trump administration, federal judges in California and Maryland on Thursday ordered the reinstatement of tens of thousands of probationary federal workers who were laid off as part of a wave of mass firings. The rulings represent a major blow to President Trump and his administration’s efforts, led by adviser Elon Musk, to downsize the federal bureaucracy drastically. The decisions come at a time when federal agencies are facing pressure to submit plans for further layoffs and budget cuts. These rulings could stall the administration’s push for additional reductions. Two rulings, one conclusion In back-to-back rulings on Thursday, US District Judge James Bredar in Baltimore and US District Judge William Alsup in San Francisco found that federal agencies violated legal regulations by laying off probationary employees en masse. Judge Bredar’s ruling came in response to a lawsuit brought by 20 Democratic-led states. The lawsuit argued that 18 federal agencies had engaged in unlawful mass terminations of probationary employees over recent weeks. Meanwhile, Judge Alsup’s ruling in San Francisco ordered the reinstatement of employees across six major federal agencies: the Departments of Defense, Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, Energy, Interior, and the Treasury. Judge Alsup was particularly critical of the US Office of Personnel Management (OPM), the federal agency responsible for overseeing human resources in the government. He found that OPM had acted beyond its authority by directing mass terminations without the necessary legal basis. “It is a sad day when our government would fire some good employee and say it was based on performance when they know good and well that's a lie,” Alsup said during the hearing, reflecting his frustration with the administration’s actions. White House pushes back The White House responded swiftly to the rulings, with Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt issuing a statement accusing Judge Alsup of overreaching. “The President has the authority to exercise the power of the entire executive branch,” Leavitt said. “Singular district court judges cannot abuse the power of the judiciary to thwart the President’s agenda.” Leavitt also indicated that the administration would appeal the rulings, setting up a potential legal battle over the scope of executive authority and labor rights for federal workers. Legal and procedural missteps Probationary federal workers, typically those with less than one year of service, are afforded fewer job protections than their more tenured counterparts. However, Judge Alsup emphasized that mass layoffs still require agencies to comply with specific legal requirements. The judge found that these protections had been violated, particularly in cases where performance issues were cited as the reason for termination. Alsup noted that while agencies can engage in mass layoffs, they must follow regulations ensuring that terminations are justified by performance and not conducted indiscriminately. Both judges’ rulings require agencies to reinstate workers fired over the last few weeks. However, Alsup’s ruling only applied to six agencies involved in his case, while Bredar’s ruling affects 18 federal agencies. Pending further rulings, more agencies could be ordered to reinstate workers. What had led to the layoffs? The Trump administration’s push to shrink the federal workforce has been spearheaded by adviser Elon Musk, who has publicly advocated for streamlining government agencies and cutting what he described as “wasteful” positions. Since January, the administration has pursued widespread layoffs across multiple federal agencies, with a specific focus on probationary employees. According to a tally by news agency Reuters, approximately 25,000 workers have been fired as of March 5, while another 75,000 have accepted buyouts. The administration has not released official data on the layoffs, making it difficult to determine how many workers could be affected by the recent court rulings. In a January 20 memo, OPM directed agencies to identify non-essential probationary employees for termination. OPM claimed that it did not mandate any specific firings, but rather allowed agencies to make their own determinations. However, Judge Alsup disagreed, asserting that OPM’s actions amounted to unlawful interference in personnel decisions. Unions and states push back The lawsuit against the administration was brought by a coalition of states, unions, and nonprofit organizations, including the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), which represents more than 800,000 federal workers. AFGE President Everett Kelley praised the rulings, calling them a victory for federal workers and a setback for an administration “hellbent on crippling federal agencies and their work on behalf of the American public.” In the case before Judge Alsup, the plaintiffs argued that the mass firings were ordered by OPM, rather than being left to the discretion of individual agencies, as required by federal law. Judge Alsup’s ruling agreed with this interpretation, rejecting the government’s defense that agencies were acting independently. The Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB), which reviews appeals of federal worker terminations, had earlier ordered the Department of Agriculture to reinstate 6,000 workers temporarily. However, Judge Alsup’s ruling goes further by mandating that several other agencies reinstate workers immediately. (With inputs from Reuters)
