A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to reinstate probationary workers who were recently fired in large numbers from various agencies. This decision came from U.S. District Judge James Bredar in Baltimore, who ruled that the administration did not follow the proper laws when conducting mass layoffs.
The judge’s ruling, made late Thursday, halts the firings for at least two weeks. It also requires that the workers be returned to their previous status before the layoffs occurred. Judge Bredar sided with nearly two dozen states that filed a lawsuit, claiming the firings were illegal and negatively affecting state governments that now need to support those who lost their jobs.
Earlier that same day, another judge, U.S. District Judge William Alsup, also ruled against the administration. He found that the terminations across six agencies were directed improperly by the Office of Personnel Management and its acting director, Charles Ezell, who did not have the authority to carry out these layoffs.
Alsup’s order specifically tells the Departments of Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, Defense, Energy, the Interior, and the Treasury to offer reinstatement to employees who were let go around February 13 and 14. He has also asked these departments to report back within a week, detailing how they are complying with his order.
These legal actions come amid a broader effort by the Trump administration to reduce the federal workforce. The mass firings have targeted probationary workers, who are often newer employees with less job protection. Multiple lawsuits have emerged in response to these firings, with labor unions and other organizations pushing back against the administration’s practices.
The Justice Department has appealed Alsup’s ruling, arguing that the states do not have the right to interfere with the federal government’s management of its workforce. They maintain that the firings were due to performance issues, not large-scale layoffs that would require adherence to specific regulations.
There are around 200,000 probationary workers in the federal system, including entry-level employees and those who have recently been promoted. The administration’s actions have sparked protests and legal challenges as affected workers and their supporters seek to preserve their jobs.