(5MinNewsBreak.com) – In a stinging rebuke to the Trump administration’s efforts to reduce government size, a federal judge has ordered the reinstatement of federal workers fired en masse.
See the tweet below!
The court ruling condemned the administration’s actions as an overstep of authority, demanding accountability for government overreach.
This decision ignites a contentious debate over executive power and regulatory adherence.
U.S. District Judge William Alsup, presiding in San Francisco, ordered the reinstatement of probationary employees from six federal agencies, including the Departments of Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, Defense, Energy, Interior, and Treasury.
Alsup’s decision targets the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and its Acting Director Charles Ezell, declaring the terminations unauthorized.
This ruling affects thousands of workers and underscores the importance of lawful and procedural integrity within governmental actions.
The judge labeled the layoffs a “sham” to circumvent statutory reduction-in-force requirements.
Probationary workers, typically in roles for less than a year and lacking appeal rights, were carefully chosen for these terminations.
The judge refuted claims that agency heads independently made the layoff decisions, stating that OPM leads the charge, suggesting unlawful practices were deliberately masked as lawful actions.
Union groups challenged these actions, arguing OPM’s lack of authority while exposing the administration’s efforts to prevent key testimonies in court proceedings.
The Justice Department withdrew a declaration from Ezell during the litigation, adding to the cloud of controversy surrounding these dismissals.
Alsup’s critiques highlight that the White House allegedly tried to block accountability in this litigious battle.
“That should not have been done in our country. It was a sham in order to avoid statutory requirements,” said Judge Alsup, cited by BBC News.
The Trump administration offered a deferred resignation program allowing employees to resign while retaining benefits temporarily.
Although 75,000 workers accepted this offer, it fell short of the anticipated participation.
With over 200,000 probationary workers nationwide, including 15,000 in California, this program exemplifies an aggressive downsizing tactic targeting vulnerable federal employees.
The White House opposed the judge’s ruling, with Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt asserting, “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.”
Nevertheless, the judicial rebuke casts doubt on the administration’s ability to exercise unchecked executive power without facing legal scrutiny.
“The Trump Administration will immediately fight back against this absurd and unconstitutional order,” Leavitt said further, cited by AP.
As this courtroom drama unfolds, it underscores the ongoing tug of war between a robust executive branch seeking efficiency and federal judicial powers ensuring it remains within lawful boundaries.
Clinton appointee Judge William Alsup says the Trump Admin has to rehire 30,000 laid off probationary hires. He says that trying to cut headcount is a "sham" and actually it's legally mandatory for taxpayers to keep paying them.
What will blue judges come up with next? Will they… pic.twitter.com/hFyOVByajQ
— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) March 13, 2025
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