Federal judges in California and Maryland have ordered the reinstatement of thousands of probationary federal workers, striking a major blow to President Donald Trump’s sweeping efforts to shrink the federal workforce.
The rulings, issued on Thursday, found that 19 government agencies violated employment regulations when they carried out mass layoffs without proper notice or due process.
US District Judge James Bredar in Baltimore ruled that 18 agencies—including the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Education, and the Treasury Department—failed to follow procedures required for large-scale terminations.
He said the government’s claim that dismissals were based on individual performance was “belied by the sheer number of employees terminated in a matter of days.”
In a separate ruling, US District Judge William Alsup in San Francisco also blocked the termination of probationary workers at six agencies, including the Department of Defence, arguing that the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) overstepped its authority by ordering mass dismissals.
The Trump administration, spearheaded by adviser Elon Musk through the Department of Government Efficiency, has already dismissed at least 24,000 probationary workers as part of its effort to slash the federal workforce.
The White House vowed to challenge the rulings, with Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt insisting, “The President has the authority to exercise the power of the entire executive branch—singular district court judges cannot abuse the power of the judiciary to thwart the President’s agenda.”
The Democratic-led states that filed the lawsuit argued that the terminations violated regulations requiring agencies to provide state governments with 60 days’ notice before mass layoffs, leading to a surge in unemployment claims and increased demand for social services.
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