A federal judge ordered President Donald Trump's administration to reinstate probationary federal workers axed last month, the biggest blow yet to Trump and billionaire Elon Musk’s scheme to massively shrink the federal government.
Northern District of California Judge William Alsup ruled on Thursday that the firings were unlawful and said claims that the mass layoffs were based on performance amounted to a "sham to try to avoid statutory requirements."
"Our government would fire some good employee, and say it was based on performance. When they know good and well that's a lie," he shared.
Alsup said that the Office of Personnel Management, a favorite of DOGE in its crusade against career bureaucrats, had “no authority whatsoever” to remove workers at the departments of Agriculture, Defense, Energy, Interior, Treasury and Veterans Affairs.
Alsup repeatedly accused representatives of the Trump administration of talking out of both sides of their mouths when trying to justify the layoffs. He said that the OPM was crafting smokescreens between itself and the layoffs to make them legal and refused to buy the line that the agency had no say in the widespread reduction in force.
"The court rejects the government's attempt to use these press releases and to read between the lines to say the agency heads made their own decision with no direction from OPM," Alsup said, adding that he doubted government attorneys were "telling [him] the truth."
Alsup ordered Cabinet departments to “offer reinstatement to any and all probationary employees terminated on or about February 13.”
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt promised to “immediately fight back against this absurd and unconstitutional order” in a statement.
"A single judge is attempting to unconstitutionally seize the power of hiring and firing from the Executive Branch. 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," she said. "If a federal district court judge would like executive powers, they can try and run for president themselves."
Union leaders celebrated the reinstatement of early-career public service workers, who they say were “illegally fired.”
“We are grateful for these employees and the critical work they do, and AFGE will keep fighting until all federal employees who were unjustly and illegally fired are given their jobs back,” American Federation of Government Employees president Everett Kelley said in a statement.
Top House Oversight Democrat Gerry Connolly, whose Virginia district is home to thousands of federal civil servants, celebrated the ruling in a statement.
“This is a win for our democracy, the rule of law, and for the American people who are better served by having these federal workers on the job,” Connolly said. “The Trump-Musk Administration must immediately respect the court’s decision and reinstate these dedicated civil servants.”
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