Judge Orders Reinstatement of 24,000 Fired Probationary Workers at Six Agencies, Deeming OPM Order Illegal

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Updated Mar 13, 2025, 04:52 PM

A federal judge in San Francisco has ordered the Trump administration to reinstate thousands of probationary federal employees who were fired last month from six federal agencies, including the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Defense, the Department of Energy, the Department of the Interior, and the Department of the Treasury. This ruling follows a lawsuit filed by the American Federation of Government Employees (AFL) against the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), challenging the legality of the mass firings of at least 24,000 employees. Judge William Alsup, a Clinton appointee, issued an injunction finding OPM's order to fire probationary employees illegal. The judge also prohibited OPM from issuing guidance on employee terminations. The lawsuit claims that the firings were part of a broader objective to downsize the federal workforce, rather than being based on individual performance issues. The Trump administration's suggestion to fire these employees came from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), headed by Elon Musk. The case has drawn significant attention, with nearly 20 states seeking a temporary restraining order to stop further firings and reinstate dismissed employees. The states argue that the Trump administration failed to follow proper procedures for large-scale layoffs, which could have severe financial implications for state budgets. Additionally, the USDA has reinstated 5,000 of its fired employees, and several governors have moved to hire these workers for open state positions. The Department of Justice also withdrew a declaration from OPM head Charles Ezell, who was ordered to testify but did not appear at the hearing.

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Sources

abcnews.go.com(5)news.bloomberglaw.com(4)politico.com(3)reuters.com(3)

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@TheInsiderPaper

BREAKING - Judge in mass firing case orders Trump administration to reinstate probationary federal workers across multiple agencies. — AP

Josh Gerstein

@joshgerstein

BREAKING: Federal judge orders reinstatement of thousands of probationary federal workers Trump administration tried to fire. order from Judge William Alsup, Clinton appointee in SF, covers DoD, Treasury, USDA, VA, Energy. w/@kyledcheney https://t.co/OKSsElfZHw https://t.co/22f6RaoXfR