Unusual Whales

A federal judge ordered multiple government agencies, including Veterans Affairs, Treasury and the USDA, to offer fired probationary federal workers their jobs back

Unusual Whales -

Federal Judge Orders Rehiring of Thousands of Fired Government Workers

A federal judge has ordered multiple agencies to reinstate tens of thousands of probationary employees who were dismissed during President Donald Trump’s aggressive push to shrink the federal workforce.

U.S. District Judge William Alsup condemned the mass firings as a “sham” orchestrated by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to bypass legal workforce reduction procedures.

Agencies Ordered to Reinstate Fired Employees

Alsup’s ruling requires the Defense, Treasury, Energy, Interior, Agriculture, and Veterans Affairs Departments to immediately rehire all affected workers. He determined that OPM’s decision to terminate them was unlawful.

However, the ruling does not prevent the government from reducing its workforce—Alsup emphasized that agencies retain the authority to conduct reductions in force (RIFs) as long as they follow legal procedures. Federal agencies are currently finalizing RIF plans.

Judge Slams Government’s Handling of the Case

Alsup harshly criticized the Justice Department, accusing Trump administration lawyers of withholding critical information about who directed the mass terminations.

  • “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 said to a DOJ attorney.
  • “I tend to doubt that you’re telling me the truth. … I’m tired of seeing you stonewall on trying to get at the truth.”

Alsup also blasted the administration for attempting to circumvent federal laws by falsely attributing the firings to poor performance instead of layoffs. He called the move “a gimmick”.

  • “It is a sad day when our government would fire a good employee and say it was based on performance when they know good and well that’s a lie,” he said.

A Broader Fight Over Federal Job Cuts

The ruling follows an earlier temporary reinstatement of 5,000 USDA employees by a federal civil service board, but Alsup’s decision marks the first court-ordered reversal of Trump’s widespread federal job cuts.

  • Alsup clarified that his ruling does not prohibit Trump’s administration from downsizing agencies—only that the proper legal process must be followed.
  • “The words I give you today should not be taken as some wild-and-crazy judge in San Francisco saying an administration cannot engage in a reduction in force,” he said. “It can be done—if it’s done in accordance with the law.”

Concerns Over Trump’s Efforts to Weaken Federal Workplace Protections

Alsup also raised concerns about Trump’s attempts to remove members of the Merit Systems Protection Board and the Federal Labor Relations Authority, which oversee federal employment issues.

  • The administration argued that fired employees should seek relief from these agencies.
  • Alsup questioned whether Trump’s efforts to undermine these boards had rendered them incapable of addressing the mass terminations.

Government’s Refusal to Provide Key Testimony

Alsup had ordered Charles Ezell, the acting head of OPM, to testify about his role in the firings, but the Justice Department refused, even withdrawing Ezell’s sworn declaration from the case.

  • At one point, Alsup reprimanded Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelsey Helland for the government’s lack of transparency:
    • “You’re not helping me get at the truth. You’re giving me press releases, sham documents.”
    • “I’m getting mad at you and I shouldn’t. You’re trying to do your best, and I apologize.”

Helland, the only government lawyer present, defended the administration’s actions, arguing that the firings were driven by Trump’s policy agenda, not OPM directives.