Supreme Court halts judge's order to rehire 16,000 fired federal workers

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday sided with the Trump administration, temporarily blocking a lower court order that would have required the federal government to reinstate thousands of employees dismissed as part of a mass downsizing effort.

The emergency ruling puts on hold a California judge’s decision that 16,000 probationary workers be rehired immediately, citing violations of federal employment law. Instead, the affected employees across six agencies will remain on paid administrative leave while the legal challenge proceeds.

Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented, saying they would have allowed the reinstatement to take place.

The workers were terminated in what the administration described as a restructuring campaign aimed at significantly reducing the size of the federal workforce. But labor unions and nonprofit groups behind the lawsuit claim the firings circumvented lawful procedures and targeted probationary employees with fewer job protections.

U.S. District Judge William Alsup, who issued the original ruling in San Francisco, sharply criticized the administration’s actions. He said he was “appalled” that many employees received positive performance reviews just months before being dismissed and accused the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) of attempting to sidestep federal regulations.

Alsup’s order required rehiring at the Departments of Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, Defense, Energy, the Interior, and the Treasury. The lawsuit argued that the mass firings reduced government capacity and harmed the missions of these agencies.

A second lawsuit in Maryland led to a separate order blocking the terminations in those six agencies and a dozen more, though it only applies to 19 states and the District of Columbia that joined the case. That ruling is also under appeal by the Justice Department.

The total number of affected workers is estimated to be at least 24,000, though the federal government has not officially confirmed that figure.

Solicitor General D. John Sauer, representing the administration, argued that the agencies themselves initiated the dismissals and have chosen to uphold them.

As the legal battle continues, thousands of workers remain in limbo — employed, but unable to return to work.