A U.S. appeals court declined to halt a judge’s ruling ordering the Trump administration to rehire 25,000 workers who were let go as part of a federal workforce reduction. The Richmond, Virginia-based 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals stated that the decision to not pause the ruling was made as the judge in Baltimore, Maryland is expected to make a further decision next week. The lawsuit was brought forth by 19 Democrat-led states and Washington, D.C.
The Trump administration mentioned in court filings on March 17 that efforts were being made to reinstate the terminated employees by placing them on paid leave temporarily. The court’s decision will remain in effect while the administration’s appeal is ongoing. The affected agencies include the Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Agriculture, Department of Energy, Department of Health and Human Services, and the Treasury Department.
The initial firings targeted probationary employees, who typically have less than one to two years of service in their roles. This action was part of broader plans by Trump and adviser Elon Musk to reduce the federal workforce and cut government spending. Some agencies let go a few hundred probationary workers, while others, like the Treasury Department and Department of Agriculture, terminated thousands.
On March 13, U.S. District Judge James Bredar in Baltimore ruled that the agencies should have followed proper procedures for mass layoffs and ordered the reinstatement of the workers pending further legal proceedings. Another judge in San Francisco also ordered the reinstatement of probationary workers at six agencies on different legal grounds, involving five agencies covered by Bredar’s ruling and the Department of Defense.
The Trump administration has appealed the San Francisco decision and requested a pause pending the case’s outcome. The judges’ rulings did not prevent agencies from firing probationary workers altogether, but rather raised concerns about the process followed during the terminations.
