On February 27, a California federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration from ordering the mass firings of thousands of recently hired federal employees. US District Judge William Alsup ruled that the US Office of Personnel Management (OPM) lacked the authority to mandate such terminations, including those of probationary employees with less than a year of experience.
Judge Alsup ordered OPM to rescind a January 20 memo and a February 14 email directing federal agencies to identify and terminate non-“mission-critical” probationary employees. The judge emphasized that the mass firings, which began two weeks ago, would cause widespread harm, including cuts to national parks, scientific research, and services for veterans.
The ruling is a significant victory for the plaintiffs, including the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) and other unions and nonprofits advocating for veterans’ services and national park conservation. AFGE President Everett Kelley hailed the decision as an important initial victory for federal employees.
The Trump administration has maintained that the OPM memo and email merely requested agencies to review their probationary workforces and did not mandate any terminations. However, Judge Alsup expressed skepticism, stating it was unlikely that every federal agency independently decided to decimate its staff.
The ruling will remain in place temporarily while Judge Alsup considers the legal challenge, which claims that OPM has no power over the hiring and firing of federal employees and that its memo and email amounted to formal rules requiring a lengthy administrative process.