A federal judge has ruled that several U.S. government agencies must reinstate thousands of probationary employees who were fired en masse by the Trump administration last month. The decision, issued by Judge William Alsup, criticized the dismissals as part of a “sham” strategy designed to bypass proper procedures for reducing the federal workforce.
The ruling applies to probationary workers who were let go from the Departments of Agriculture, Defense, Energy, Interior, Treasury, and Veterans Affairs. During a hearing on Thursday, the Department of Justice (DOJ) argued that the firings were based on guidance from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), rather than a direct directive. However, Judge Alsup dismissed this claim, citing termination letters that explicitly stated the firings were carried out on OPM’s instructions.
“That should not have been done in our country,” Judge Alsup said. “It was a sham in order to avoid statutory requirements.”
The OPM, an agency responsible for managing the federal civil service, has found itself at the center of controversy as President Donald Trump pushes to reduce the size of the federal workforce. The BBC has reached out to OPM for comment.
Danielle Leonard, an attorney representing a coalition of government employee unions, argued that probationary employees were targeted because they lack the right to appeal their dismissals. Judge Alsup also expressed dismay over the firing of a high-performing government worker in Albuquerque, New Mexico, who was terminated for alleged performance issues despite receiving top marks.
“I just want to say it is a sad day when our government would fire a good employee and say it’s for performance when they know good and well that’s a lie,” Judge Alsup remarked.
The White House has strongly opposed the ruling. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt accused Judge Alsup of “attempting to unconstitutionally seize the power of hiring and firing from the executive branch.” She emphasized that such authority rests solely with the president and criticized the judge for “abusing the power of the entire judiciary to thwart the president’s agenda.”
“The Trump administration will immediately fight back against this absurd and unconstitutional order,” Leavitt stated.
In a related development, Elon Musk’s name surfaced in discussions about the administration’s efforts to downsize the federal workforce. Although Musk was not mentioned during the hearing, President Trump has reportedly tasked him with leading the ad hoc Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) to streamline government operations.
“He was on everybody’s mind,” said Luz Fuller, president of a Sacramento branch of the American Federation of Government Employees, which represents over 4,500 workers in Northern California. The White House has denied that Musk is officially leading the agency, despite Trump referring to him as such during a recent Congressional address.
This ruling marks a significant setback for the Trump administration’s efforts to reduce federal employment and could reignite debates over executive power and workers’ rights.
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