A federal judge has ruled that the Trump administration must reinstate tens of thousands of federal employees who were summarily dismissed in an alleged attempt to circumvent employment protections.
On March 7, Judge William Alsup of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California ruled that the administration engaged in a “sham” operation to avoid statutory requirements for workforce reductions.
The ruling applies to employees from six federal agencies: the Departments of Defense, Energy, Interior, Agriculture, Veterans Affairs, and the Treasury.
Circumventing Employment Laws
The court found that the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and the newly established Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk, wrongfully terminated thousands of probationary federal employees under the pretext of performance issues.
The judge determined that the true intent was to sidestep the Reductions in Force Act, which mandates procedural protections for mass layoffs.
“The reason that [OPM] wanted to put this based on performance was at least in part—a gimmick to avoid the Reductions in Force Act,” Alsup stated. “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 is a lie. It was a sham in order to try to avoid statutory requirements.”
Judge Alsup ordered the administration to immediately offer reinstatement to the affected employees and to adhere to proper legal procedures if further workforce reductions are pursued.
Administration’s Response and Legal Battle Ahead
The White House swiftly condemned the ruling, with Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt accusing the judiciary of overreach.
“A single judge is attempting to unconstitutionally seize the power of hiring and firing from the Executive Branch,” Leavitt said in a statement. “The President has the authority to exercise the power of the entire executive branch – singular district court judges cannot abuse the power of the judiciary to thwart the President’s agenda.”
Elon Musk, in his capacity as head of DOGE, echoed these sentiments, arguing that the executive branch should have unfettered control over hiring and firing. Meanwhile, former President Trump took to social media to denounce the ruling, stating:
“He who saves his country does not violate any law.”
Legal analysts expect the administration to appeal the ruling, potentially bringing the case before the Supreme Court.
For now, thousands of federal workers who lost their jobs may see a path to reinstatement as the legal battle over executive power and employment protections unfolds.
