San Francisco, CA – In a landmark decision, U.S. District Judge William Alsup has ordered the Trump administration to reinstate thousands of recently terminated probationary employees across six major federal agencies. The ruling affects the Department of Defense, Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Agriculture, Department of Energy, Department of the Interior, and the Treasury Department.
Judge Alsup, presiding over the case in San Francisco, sharply criticized the mass terminations, describing the process as a “sham.” He concluded that the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) overstepped its authority by directing these dismissals and emphasized that the agency lacked the legal jurisdiction to mandate such terminations.
“The OPM had no legal basis to instruct other agencies to terminate these employees,” Alsup stated in the ruling. “The process violated fundamental employment rights, and corrective action is necessary.”
The mass terminations took place around mid-February and were part of the Trump administration’s broader strategy to reduce the federal workforce. However, the decision sparked immediate backlash from labor unions and federal workers’ rights advocates, who argued that the dismissals were both unjustified and unlawful.
The court’s decision mandates that all affected federal agencies offer reinstatement to the terminated employees without delay. Agencies are also required to report their compliance with the order within the next seven days.
The ruling was welcomed by labor organizations. Everett Kelley, President of the American Federation of Government Employees, praised the court’s stance, saying, “This decision is a crucial victory for federal workers who were unjustly stripped of their jobs. It reinforces the essential rights of our nation’s dedicated civil servants.”
Representative Gerry Connolly also expressed support for the decision, emphasizing the importance of protecting federal employees from arbitrary actions.
As of now, the Trump administration has not publicly responded to the court’s order.
This ruling marks another chapter in the ongoing legal challenges surrounding executive actions taken by the Trump administration. Since President Trump’s tenure, multiple lawsuits have been filed in opposition to various policies impacting the federal workforce.
[With inputs from agencies, read the full reports on AP News and Business Insider]
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