A federal judge has ruled to reinstate terminated federal probationary employees in response to a lawsuit filed by 19 states and the District of Columbia. U.S. District Judge James Bredar in Baltimore issued a preliminary injunction on Tuesday night, protecting the workers in the involved states while the legal proceedings continue. The judge emphasized that the states were acting independently to protect their own interests, not as representatives for the workers.
The order mandates that the 18 government agencies initially named in the lawsuit must comply with legal requirements in any future staff reductions. Judge Bredar has extended this requirement to include the Defense Department and the Office of Personnel Management in his decision. Previously, Bredar determined that the mass terminations constituted a significant reduction in force, triggering specific regulations including notifying affected states in advance.
The lawsuit argues that the widespread layoffs will place undue financial burdens on the states and the district by necessitating support for unemployed workers and processing claims for unemployment benefits. Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown, a leading figure in the case, criticized the Trump Administration’s justification for the firings, alleging that it was a deliberate attempt to diminish the federal workforce, even if it meant disregarding the law.
The lawsuit claims that over 24,000 probationary employees have been dismissed since President Trump assumed office. The government is appealing the ruling to the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, arguing that the states cannot interfere in federal hiring and firing decisions. Meanwhile, the administration is also challenging a similar court order in California to reinstate probationary workers, arguing that judges cannot compel the executive branch to reverse its employment decisions.
The affected workers, who typically lack full civil service protection due to their probationary status, are being rehired under the court orders. The states involved in the lawsuit against the Trump administration are Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Wisconsin.
