A federal judge in California temporarily blocked the Trump administration on Thursday from directing the Department of Defense and other federal agencies to fire thousands of recently hired employees.
During a hearing, U.S. District Judge William Alsup ruled that the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) lacks the authority to order mass terminations, including probationary employees with less than a year of experience.
The effort to downsize the federal workforce is led by President Donald Trump and Elon Musk, head of the Department of Government Efficiency. Their push for sweeping job cuts, aimed at reducing the federal bureaucracy and trimming $1 trillion from the $6.7 trillion budget, has sparked fierce opposition from Democrats, unions, and federal workers. Critics argue that the layoffs are illegal and could disrupt essential government functions.
Some agencies have already begun staff reductions. On Thursday, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) notified hundreds of probationary employees of their termination. At the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), officials warned that a major office focused on modernization could be eliminated entirely. Meanwhile, at least two dozen remote OPM employees were told they must relocate to Washington by March 7 to keep their jobs.
Alsup ordered OPM to rescind memos instructing agencies to identify and terminate non-essential probationary employees. However, he noted that he could not directly block the Defense Department and other agencies from proceeding with planned layoffs, as they were not defendants in the case.
The ruling follows lawsuits filed by the American Federation of Government Employees and other unions, which argue that OPM exceeded its authority. Alsup criticized the administration’s claim that agencies were merely reviewing their workforce, noting the widespread job losses already underway.
The White House and the Department of Justice have yet to respond to the ruling. Meanwhile, Trump’s broader efforts to reshape the federal workforce continue, with agencies required to submit plans for further staffing reductions by March 13.
