US federal judge has ruled that the Trump administration acted unlawfully when it ordered the mass dismissal of about 25,000 probationary federal employees in February, Reuters reported.
Judge William Alsup said the Office of Personnel Management had overstepped its authority, but he stopped short of reinstating the workers, pointing to limits set by the Supreme Court on judicial power over executive hiring and firing.
Instead, he ordered 19 agencies — including Defense, Veterans Affairs, Treasury and Agriculture — to correct affected employees’ records by November 14 and barred them from carrying out similar directives in the future.
According to Reuters, the case was brought by unions, nonprofits and the state of Washington, who argued the terminations caused lasting harm. The White House and plaintiffs’ representatives declined to comment on the ruling.
