Federal judges in California and Maryland ordered the reinstatement of thousands of probationary federal workers who were fired as part of a sweeping effort to shrink the federal bureaucracy, according to Reuters.
The rulings, issued on Thursday, come as government agencies face a deadline to submit plans for further layoffs and budget cuts.
US District Judge James Bredar in Baltimore ruled that 18 federal agencies violated regulations governing mass layoffs when they terminated probationary employees en masse. The judge agreed with 20 Democratic-led states that the firings constituted a form of mass layoff, necessitating advance notice to states to assist affected workers.
Bredar’s restraining order applies to agencies including the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), and the US Agency for International Development (USAID), all of which have been targeted by the Trump administration for deregulation and cost-cutting.
Other affected agencies include the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Labor, Transportation, Treasury, and Veterans Affairs.
Judge Bredar, an appointee of former President Barack Obama, rejected the administration’s claim that the firings were based on individual performance issues.
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.
Earlier in the day, US District Judge William Alsup in San Francisco ordered the reinstatement of probationary employees fired at six agencies, including the Department of Defence, which was not covered by the Maryland ruling. Judge Alsup, an appointee of former President Bill Clinton, criticised the US Office of Personnel Management (OPM) for improperly ordering the mass firings
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.
Administration’s response
However, the Trump administration has vowed to challenge the rulings. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated:
The President has the authority to exercise the power of the entire executive branch—singular district court judges cannot abuse the power of the entire judiciary to thwart the President’s agenda.
The mass firings are part of an aggressive campaign led by President Trump and Elon Musk, the architect of the administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), to reduce the federal workforce. Since Trump returned to office in January, at least 24,000 probationary workers have been terminated, according to the Democratic-led states that filed the lawsuit.
Probationary workers, who typically have less than one year of service in their roles, have fewer job protections than other federal employees but can generally only be fired for performance-related reasons. The states argue that the mass firings violated regulations requiring advance notice to state and local governments, which are now facing increased unemployment claims and demand for social services.
The rulings highlight the ongoing tension between the Trump administration’s efforts to streamline government and the legal protections afforded to federal workers. The lawsuits were filed by unions, nonprofit groups, and states, including Washington, which argue that the firings were unlawful because they were ordered by OPM rather than individual agencies.
The Trump administration is expected to appeal the rulings, setting the stage for a prolonged legal battle. Meanwhile, the reinstated workers will return to their positions, at least temporarily, as the courts continue to weigh the legality of the administration’s actions.
