Court orders reinstatement of thousands of dismissed civil servants in several US ministries
The judge ordered the reinstatement of dismissed employees in several US ministries (Illustrative photo: Getty Images)
A district court in California has ordered six US agencies to reinstate thousands of recently hired employees who lost their jobs due to President Donald Trump's campaign to reduce the number of federal workers, according to Reuters.
The decision was made by US District Judge William Alsup during a hearing in San Francisco. His ruling concerns employees on probationary periods at the US Department of Defense, Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Agriculture, Department of Energy, Department of Interior, and the Treasury Department.
The judge noted that the US Office of Personnel Management (OPM), the human resources department for federal agencies, unlawfully ordered these agencies to conduct mass layoffs, even though it did not have the authority to do so.
"It is a sad day when our government would fire some good employee and say it was based on performance when they know good and well that’s a lie," said Alsup, appointed by former US President Bill Clinton.
During the hearing, the judge stated that agencies are allowed to conduct mass layoffs, but they must comply with a range of legislative requirements.
Employees on probation typically have less than a year of experience in their positions, although some are long-serving federal employees. They have fewer job protections than other civil servants but can generally only be dismissed for failure to perform their duties.
Alsup ordered the agencies to reinstate employees who were laid off in recent weeks until the completion of the court case brought by unions, non-profit groups, and the state of Washington.
The judge did not order the reinstatement of employees from 16 other agencies mentioned in the lawsuit but stated that he would issue a written decision soon, which could extend Thursday’s ruling from March 13.
Among the plaintiffs is the American Federation of Government Employees, which represents 800,000 federal workers. The union's president, Everett Kelly, called the decision an important victory against an administration seeking to harm federal agencies and their work for the benefit of the American public.
Trump and the Department of Justice disagree
At the same time, White House press secretary Karoline Levitt stated in her statement that the judge lacked the authority to make such a ruling and that the administration would immediately respond.
“The President has the authority to exercise the power of the entire executive branch - singular district court judges cannot abuse the power of the entire judiciary to thwart the President’s agenda," Leavitt said.
On Thursday, the Department of Justice announced its intention to appeal Alsup’s decision to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.
Judge Alsup's ruling marked the most significant blow to Trump’s and his main advisor Elon Musk's efforts to radically reduce the federal bureaucracy. By Thursday, government agencies are required to submit plans for a second wave of mass layoffs and budget cuts.
Trump's reform to reduce US civil servants
The administration of US President Donald Trump initiated a budget cut reform, which included reducing the number of federal employees.
The cuts are being handled by the US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by billionaire Elon Musk.
In February, many federal employees received an email offering them to voluntarily resign with a salary payout until September of that year. The first wave of layoffs primarily affected thousands of employees who were on probationary periods in federal agencies, including the Department of Health and Human Services.
