A United States federal judge has ordered six government agencies to reinstate thousands of recently fired employees, blocking a major round of layoffs initiated by the administration. The ruling marks a significant setback to efforts aimed at drastically reducing the federal workforce.
During a hearing in San Francisco on Thursday, U.S. District Judge William Alsup stated that the U.S. Office of Personnel Management had overstepped its authority by directing agencies to dismiss workers en masse without proper justification. The agencies affected include the Departments of Defense, Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, Energy, Interior, and the Treasury.
“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,” Judge Alsup remarked, emphasizing the importance of lawful procedures in employment decisions.
The judge’s decision means that probationary employees—those typically with less than one year in their current roles—must be reinstated pending the outcome of lawsuits filed by unions, nonprofit organizations, and the state of Washington. These workers, some of whom are longtime federal employees, generally have fewer job protections but cannot be dismissed without valid performance-related reasons.
In response, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt expressed the administration’s intent to challenge the ruling, stating that Judge Alsup lacked the power to issue such an order. “We will immediately fight back,” Leavitt said in a statement.
While the ruling currently applies to six agencies, Judge Alsup indicated that a forthcoming written decision might expand its impact to include 16 other agencies named in the lawsuit. He acknowledged that while agencies can conduct layoffs, they must adhere to established legal requirements.
This development highlights the ongoing tensions between federal agencies and the judiciary over the scope of executive power in workforce management. For the thousands of workers affected, the ruling offers a temporary reprieve and a chance to return to their positions as the legal battle continues.
