A federal judge in San Francisco has halted the Trump administration’s sweeping termination of probationary federal employees, ordering the rehiring of thousands—potentially tens of thousands—of workers.
The ruling, issued Thursday, sharply criticized the administration’s handling of the firings and slowed President Donald Trump’s efforts to significantly downsize the federal government.
U.S. District Judge William Alsup ruled that the terminations, carried out under the direction of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and its acting director, Charles Ezell, were unlawful, as Ezell lacked the authority to authorize such actions.
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White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt swiftly condemned the ruling, calling it an overreach into executive hiring and firing powers. “The Trump Administration will immediately fight back against this absurd and unconstitutional order,” she stated.
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Alsup’s order requires several federal departments—including Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, Defense, Energy, the Interior, and the Treasury—to reinstate employees terminated on or around February 13 and 14. The agencies must also submit a report within seven days detailing their compliance with the order, listing affected employees and explaining their reinstatement status.
The judge’s temporary restraining order was issued in response to a lawsuit filed by labor unions and advocacy groups challenging the Republican administration’s aggressive push to shrink the federal workforce.
“These mass firings weren’t just an attack on government workers and agency functionality—they were a direct assault on public lands, wildlife, and the rule of law,” said Erik Molvar, executive director of the Western Watersheds Project, one of the plaintiffs in the case.
Alsup expressed outrage at what he viewed as a deliberate attempt to circumvent workforce reduction laws by targeting probationary employees—who lack appeal rights—for dismissal. He was particularly disturbed by reports that some employees, previously praised for strong performance, were abruptly fired under the pretense of poor job execution.
“It’s a sad day when the government justifies firing dedicated employees by falsely claiming poor performance,” Alsup said. “That should not happen in our country.”
Government attorneys defended the dismissals, arguing that individual agencies independently assessed probationary workers before making termination decisions. However, Alsup remained skeptical, especially given the government’s withdrawal of a key declaration from Ezell, who neither testified in court nor participated in a deposition.
Encouraging an appeal, Alsup acknowledged that similar cases are unfolding nationwide. Another federal judge in Maryland recently expressed doubts about the administration’s justification for the firings, while a judge in Washington, D.C., ruled against unions last month, stating that terminated workers must follow existing employment law procedures.
With approximately 200,000 probationary federal employees across various agencies—including 15,000 in California—this ruling could have far-reaching implications. The affected workers span a range of roles, from entry-level positions to those who were recently promoted.
According to the lawsuit, many agencies informed employees that the mass terminations were mandated by OPM, using a template email that falsely cited performance issues as the reason for dismissal.
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