A federal judge has ordered six federal agencies to reinstate thousands of probationary employees who were fired last month, delivering a setback to the Trump administration’s push to downsize the federal workforce.
U.S. District Judge William Alsup ruled that employees from the Departments of Agriculture, Energy, Interior, Treasury, Defense, and Veterans Affairs must be rehired immediately, calling their terminations a “sham” and “unlawful.” While the order does not currently extend to other agencies, Alsup left open the possibility of future expansion.
The American Federation of Government Employees filed the lawsuit on behalf of thousands of workers who were dismissed at the direction of the Office of Personnel Management. Many of these probationary employees—who had been in their positions for less than a year or two in certain cases—received termination emails citing performance-related reasons. However, Alsup criticized the government for dismissing employees with strong performance reviews and for obstructing efforts to investigate the firings.
The Justice Department defended the terminations as lawful, while the White House vowed to challenge the ruling, arguing that a single judge should not interfere with the Executive Branch’s authority over hiring and firing decisions. The Trump administration has been pursuing widespread staff reductions across federal agencies, including voluntary resignation programs and strategic workforce downsizing. These efforts have led to multiple legal challenges, including a lawsuit from 20 states opposing plans to cut nearly half of the Education Department’s workforce.
Critics argue these cuts would harm essential programs, while the administration contends they align with its goal of returning more educational authority to the states.
