President Donald Trump’s attempt to reshape the federal government is hitting some serious legal roadblocks. On Thursday, U.S. District Judge William Alsup ruled that thousands of federal employees fired by the Trump administration must be reinstated, calling their terminations unlawful.
Now, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) — which is essentially the government’s HR department — has just seven days to show it has rehired these workers across major agencies like Agriculture, Defense, Energy, Interior, Treasury, and Veterans Affairs.
Most of the dismissed employees were classified as “probationary,” meaning they were still in their one-year trial period. However, probationary status can also apply to workers recently promoted to a new position. The Trump administration had justified the cuts by citing “performance reasons,” yet many employees say they had received positive feedback from supervisors.
“It is a sad day when our government would fire some good employee and say it was based on performance when they know good and well that is a lie,” Judge Alsup said right before issuing his ruling.
The decision stems from a lawsuit brought by a coalition of unions and civic groups on behalf of the dismissed workers. In the courtroom, Judge Alsup fiercely challenged the government’s argument that the OPM hadn’t directly ordered the terminations but merely coordinated the process, leaving the final decision to individual agencies. And while he was at it, the judge didn’t hold back on OPM’s acting director, Charles Ezell, calling him out for failing to show up to the hearing at all.
“You will not bring the people in here to be cross-examined. You’re afraid to do so because you know cross-examination would reveal the truth,” Alsup told OPM’s legal team.
Following the ruling, several plaintiffs praised the decision while condemning the layoffs. “These mass-firings of federal workers were not just an attack on government agencies and their ability to function, they were also a direct assault on public lands, wildlife, and the rule of law,” said Erik Molvar, executive director of the nonprofit Western Watersheds Project.
Meanwhile, affected workers quietly celebrated the decision. “Everyone on the group chat is celebrating,” an unnamed former IRS employee told CNN, referring to a text thread with former colleagues.
But the legal battle isn’t over yet. The Trump administration has vowed to fight back, calling the ruling “absurd and unconstitutional.” That could mean more uncertainty ahead for the thousands of employees caught in the crossfire.
For more on how federal workers have been affected by these terminations, don’t miss our chat with a park ranger who was fired after 15 years:
