Keep Up With Global Black News

Sign up to our newsletter to get the latest updates and events from the leading Afro-Diaspora publisher straight to your inbox.

BY Kofi Oppong Kyekyeku, 7:22pm April 08, 2025,

Supreme Court halts order to reinstate thousands of federal workers fired under Trump administration

by Kofi Oppong Kyekyeku, 7:22pm April 08, 2025,
Donald Trump
Donald Trump -- Photo Credit: Gage Skidmore

The U.S. Supreme Court has blocked a lower court order that would have required the Trump administration to reinstate thousands of federal workers dismissed in sweeping agency layoffs aimed at reducing the size of the federal workforce.

The Tuesday ruling came in response to an emergency appeal by the administration, challenging a California federal judge’s mandate to rehire 16,000 probationary employees across six federal agencies. The judge had found the firings likely violated federal law and ordered the workers reinstated while a broader legal challenge proceeds.

At the core of the high court’s decision was a technical legal issue: whether the nonprofit groups involved in the lawsuit had standing to sue. The justices did not weigh in on the merits of the firings themselves. Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented, saying they would have allowed the reinstatement order to remain in effect.

READ ALSO: Espionage fears mount as Trump and Musk fire thousands of federal workers

This marks the third time in less than a week that the Supreme Court has sided with the Trump administration in ongoing legal battles with lower courts. In separate cases, the justices have also paused an order reinstating teacher training grants and lifted a freeze on deportations imposed under a rarely used 18th-century law.

Watch a recent episode of The BreakDown podcast below and subscribe to our channel PanaGenius TV for latest episodes.

Still, Tuesday’s ruling offers only a partial reprieve for the administration. Due to a separate court case in Maryland, many of the affected employees will remain on paid administrative leave. That lawsuit covers workers from the same six agencies and about a dozen more but applies only in the 19 states and the District of Columbia that joined the suit. The Justice Department is appealing that decision as well.

Plaintiffs in both lawsuits claim at least 24,000 probationary employees have been dismissed since Trump took office, although the administration has not confirmed the figure.

In a statement, the coalition of labor unions and public interest groups behind the lawsuits expressed disappointment in the Supreme Court’s decision but vowed to continue fighting.

READ ALSO: Judge orders Trump administration to reinstate thousands of fired probationary workers

“There is no doubt that thousands of public service employees were unlawfully fired in an effort to cripple federal agencies and the essential programs they provide to millions of Americans,” the coalition said.

U.S. District Judge William Alsup, who issued the California order, sharply criticized the administration’s handling of the terminations. He found that the Office of Personnel Management had overstepped its authority and directed the mass firings without following proper procedures.

Alsup, a Clinton appointee, noted that many of the employees were given vague reasons for their dismissals, often citing “poor performance” despite recent stellar evaluations. “It is appalling,” he wrote, “that so many were cast aside with no warning, no transparency, and no justice.”

The administration has pushed back, arguing that the agencies themselves initiated the firings and continue to support those decisions. “The agencies have since decided to stand by those terminations,” Solicitor General D. John Sauer told the justices.

READ ALSO: Elon Musk denies blame for federal worker firings, says agencies made the cuts

Last Edited by:Kofi Oppong Kyekyeku Updated: April 8, 2025

Conversations

Must Read

Connect with us

Join our Mailing List to Receive Updates

Face2face Africa | Afrobeatz+ | BlackStars

Keep Up With Global Black News and Events

Sign up to our newsletter to get the latest updates and events from the leading Afro-Diaspora publisher straight to your inbox, plus our curated weekly brief with top stories across our platforms.

No, Thank You