A US federal judge has ruled that the Trump administration cannot hastily fire thousands of probationary federal workers in 19 states and Washington, DC.
The judge, James Bredar, stated that federal agencies must follow the required procedures for conducting mass layoffs of government employees.
The administration had terminated approximately 24,500 employees in February without prior notification to states and local governments.
However, Judge Bredar only has the authority to require the reinstatement of employees who live or work in the mostly Democratic-led states that sued over the mass firings.
Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown disputed the Trump administration’s claim that the workers were fired due to poor performance, calling it a “coordinated effort to eliminate the federal workforce – even if it meant breaking the law.”
Probationary employees typically have less than a year of service in their current roles, although some are longtime federal employees.
On March 13, Judge Bredar had already ruled that the firings were likely illegal and ordered 18 agencies to reinstate workers who had been fired pending further litigation.
The decision will remain in place pending the outcome of the lawsuit, which could take months or longer to resolve.
The Trump administration has appealed Judge Bredar’s earlier decision, claiming the firings were lawful and the judge lacked the authority to require workers to be reinstated.
A US appeals court panel declined to pause the ruling earlier in March, but a Trump-appointed judge criticized the nationwide scope of the order.