Two federal judges have ruled that thousands of probationary federal workers, recently dismissed from multiple agencies, must be temporarily reinstated by the Trump administration. These rulings were made on Thursday, determining that the terminations violated legal procedures.
In San Francisco, US District Judge William Alsup concluded that Charles Ezell, the acting director of the Office of Personnel Management, did not have the authority to oversee such large-scale layoffs. Meanwhile, in Baltimore, US District Judge James Bredar found that the administration did not comply with the required 60-day notice for large layoffs, issuing a temporary halt and ordering the reinstatement of fired workers.
The Trump administration has already filed an appeal against Alsup’s ruling, with White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt criticizing the court’s decision, calling it an unconstitutional challenge to the president’s authority over federal employment.
The legal action follows lawsuits filed by labor unions and nonprofit organizations, which argued that the firings were unlawful and severely disrupted government operations, especially in sectors such as veterans’ care and public land management. These groups also claim the mass firings were part of a larger effort to reduce the federal workforce without adequate oversight.
Alsup’s order particularly affects workers in six agencies, including Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, Defense, Energy, the Interior, and Treasury, and mandates the reinstatement of employees let go in mid-February. The judge expressed frustration at the government’s attempt to bypass regulations by firing probationary employees, who have fewer protections than full civil service workers.
Probationary workers, often new to their roles, have been the main focus of these mass layoffs. They are typically more vulnerable because they do not have the same rights to appeal terminations as full-time employees.
“These mass firings were not just an attack on government agencies but also an assault on public lands, wildlife, and the rule of law,” said Erik Molvar, executive director of the Western Watersheds Project, one of the plaintiffs.
At least 24,000 probationary employees are believed to have been fired since Trump’s tenure began, though the government has not confirmed this figure. The plaintiffs argue that these layoffs have had a ripple effect, impacting state governments that must now deal with the sudden unemployment of these individuals.
The Trump administration maintains that the terminations were based on individual performance evaluations, not on blanket layoffs subject to strict legal requirements. However, Judge Alsup questioned the validity of this defense, noting that some employees had received positive reviews just months before being fired.
“It is a sad day when our government fires good employees and claims it’s based on performance when that’s clearly untrue,” said Alsup during the proceedings.
The rulings have been met with mixed reactions. Labor unions, which represent many of the affected workers, have celebrated the decisions as a victory for federal employees and the rule of law. In contrast, the Trump administration remains determined to challenge these court orders, framing them as an overreach into executive authority.
The reinstatement of fired employees is expected to affect approximately 200,000 probationary workers across federal agencies, including around 15,000 in California alone. These employees, who perform a wide range of duties, are temporarily protected from further dismissal until the matter is resolved in court.
