In a Win to Trump, Supreme Court Blocks Reinstatement of Fired Workers/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ The Supreme Court blocked a judge’s order requiring the Trump administration to reinstate thousands of fired federal employees. The decision affects six agencies and keeps workers on paid leave while legal challenges continue. Justices Sotomayor and Jackson dissented, favoring immediate reinstatement.
Trump Federal Firings Block Reversal: Quick Looks
- Supreme Court grants Trump administration’s emergency appeal
- A lower court had ordered reinstatement of 16,000 probationary workers
- Justices Sotomayor and Jackson dissented from majority ruling
- Workers from six agencies remain on paid administrative leave
- Lawsuits argue terminations violated federal employment law
- Agencies include VA, Agriculture, Defense, Energy, Interior, and Treasury
- Trump-era mass terminations aimed to downsize federal workforce
- California and Maryland rulings at center of legal battle
- DOJ also appealing similar order affecting 19 states and D.C.
- Lawsuits filed by labor unions and nonprofit organizations
In a Win to Trump, Supreme Court Blocks Reinstatement of Fired Workers
Deep Look
Supreme Court Sides with Trump Administration in Federal Firings Dispute
The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday temporarily blocked a federal judge’s order requiring the Trump administration to reinstate thousands of federal workers who were part of a sweeping wave of terminations aimed at shrinking the size of government.
The high court granted an emergency appeal from the administration, effectively halting U.S. District Judge William Alsup’s order that 16,000 probationary employees be returned to work at six key federal agencies. The employees will remain on paid administrative leave while the legal battle continues.
Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented, indicating they would have upheld Alsup’s order to immediately reinstate the workers.
A Broader Legal Fight Unfolds
The Supreme Court ruling follows two separate federal lawsuits challenging the legality of the mass firings.
The case before Alsup was filed in California by a coalition of labor unions and nonprofit groups who argued the abrupt terminations bypassed due process and violated civil service laws. Alsup concluded that the Office of Personnel Management improperly directed the dismissals and that several agencies carried them out despite recent positive performance evaluations for the affected workers.
Alsup’s order applied to the departments of Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, Defense, Energy, the Interior, and the Treasury—agencies that have been at the forefront of the Trump administration’s campaign to streamline government operations and reduce federal workforce size.
The second lawsuit, brought in Maryland, resulted in a similar injunction that blocks firings at those six agencies plus a dozen others, but only applies to 19 states and the District of Columbia that joined the lawsuit. The Justice Department is separately appealing that ruling.
Mass Firings and Their Fallout
Since President Trump returned to office, at least 24,000 probationary federal employees have been terminated, according to claims made in the lawsuits. The government has not confirmed that number, but the sheer scope has drawn concern from federal employee unions and lawmakers.
Judge Alsup, a Clinton appointee, rebuked the government’s actions, saying he was “appalled” that many of the employees were terminated for alleged poor performance despite having received strong evaluations shortly before their dismissals.
He also criticized what he saw as a “deliberate attempt” to circumvent employment protections by targeting probationary workers who have limited legal recourse.
“The government cannot simply rebrand a political purge as a performance-based dismissal,” Alsup wrote in his decision.
The Administration’s Defense
Solicitor General D. John Sauer argued that the terminations were legitimate and initiated by the agencies themselves, not the Office of Personnel Management. He said that the agencies “have since decided to stand by those terminations,” further reinforcing the administration’s commitment to what it describes as a leaner, more accountable federal workforce.
The Trump administration has maintained that reducing the number of federal employees—particularly those deemed redundant or ineffective—is central to its broader effort to reform government and rein in spending.
Critics argue the firings are politically motivated and disproportionately affect workers in civil service positions that are supposed to be insulated from partisan influence.
What Comes Next
With the Supreme Court’s intervention, the affected employees will remain in legal limbo. While they won’t be officially terminated, they won’t be reinstated to their jobs either—at least not until the underlying legal issues are resolved.
A final ruling in the case could have sweeping implications for how presidents manage the federal workforce, particularly probationary employees who historically have fewer employment protections.
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