A federal judge has temporarily blocked the Trump administration’s push to execute mass layoffs in federal agencies, citing the Office of Personnel Management’s lack of authority. The controversial move, part of Elon Musk’s cost-cutting strategy, has drawn criticism from unions and government workers.
In a temporary restraining order, a federal judge in California on Thursday prevented the Trump administration from directing the Pentagon and other government agencies to fire thousands of newly hired workers, Reuters reports.
According to U.S. District Judge William Alsup of the San Francisco court, who presided over the trial, the United States Office of Personnel Management does not have the authority to mandate the termination of any employee, even probationary staff with less than one year of service.
Billionaire Elon Musk and Republican President Donald Trump, who heads the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, are spearheading a historic drive to reduce the size of the federal bureaucracy, including layoffs.
Republicans, labor groups, and federal employees have all resisted these initiatives, claiming that the layoffs are unlawful and could jeopardize government services.
Some key administration officials have already been forced to resign. However, Trump has wholeheartedly supported Musk and his plan to cut $1 trillion from the US budget of $6.7 trillion.
Financial analysts predict that SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk will have to cut government programs, including benefits, to achieve his goal of eliminating unnecessary jobs and decreasing waste and fraud.
According to an insider, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which is responsible for climate research, informed hundreds of probationary employees of their impending termination on Thursday.
A request for comment was not responded to by officials at NOAA.
The chief of the Internal Revenue Service’s Transformation and Strategy Office, which is responsible for modernizing the agency, warned his team on Thursday that the entire office could be disbanded, according to someone knowledgeable on the subject. The office consists of sixty people.
According to the source, IRS officials have been informed to prepare for a “drastic” reduction in staff in the upcoming weeks after chief of office David Padrino informed his team of his intention to quit effective one week from Friday.
At the same time, the government human resources agency, OPM, has told twenty-two of its own remote workers that they need to move to Washington if they want to remain employed. They had till March 7th to make a decision.
Alsup directed OPM to withdraw a January 20 memo and a February 14 email that directed agencies to fire probationary employees who were not deemed “mission-critical” in his finding. Both documents were issued by the agency.
Alsup stated that he lacked the authority to prevent the firing of 5,400 probationary employees by the Defense Department and other agencies, as they are not directly involved in the complaint that multiple nonprofits and unions have filed.
Nevertheless, he implied that the massive layoffs of government employees that started two weeks ago will have far-reaching negative consequences, such as funding reductions for national parks, scientific research, and veteran programs.
“Probationary employees are the lifeblood of our government. They come in at a low level and work their way up. That’s how we renew ourselves,” stated Alsup, who was appointed by Democratic former President Bill Clinton.
When asked for comment, neither the White House nor the US Department of Justice responded right away.
The American Federation of Government Employees, the biggest union representing federal workers, along with four other unions and NGOs whose goals include promoting veteran services and protecting national parks, are the plaintiffs in this case.
Trump administration officials have insisted that the OPM memo and email did not mandate anything; rather, they requested that agencies assess their probationary workforces to see which employees might be fired.
Kelsey Helland, a counsel for the Justice Department, informed Alsup during the hearing that “an order is not usually phrased as a request.”
However, the judge ruled that it was highly improbable that nearly every government department unilaterally chose to lay off so many employees.
By this coming Friday, the judge has instructed OPM to inform the Defense Department that the memo and email it sent about probationary personnel are null and void. In addition, Alsup emphasized that the government must convey the same message to other organizations, such as the National Park Service and the Bureau of Land Management, that the NGOs embroiled in the litigation stand to lose personnel due to budget cuts.
While the legal challenge is being considered, the ruling will be in effect temporarily. The challengers contend that the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) lacks authority over federal employee hiring and firing, and that the OPM’s memo and email constitute formal regulations that require a lengthy administrative process to be enacted.
Earlier this month, agencies started firing probationary staff in bulk. Career employees are being struck hard by a second round of mass layoffs that started this week. On Wednesday, the White House issued a memo instructing agencies to provide plans for a “significant reduction” in workforce by March 13.
Despite the fact that Trump has only been in office for a month, unions have already encountered procedural obstacles in bringing multiple cases that challenge his attempts to alter the federal workforce.
Luis Gochoco is a seasoned managing editor and writer with over a decade of experience covering politics, technology, gaming, and entertainment news. With a keen eye for breaking stories and in-depth analysis, he has established himself as a trusted voice in digital journalism. Luis is one of the key forces behind the success of GameNGuide, contributing to 12 million views through engaging and high-traffic content. He also played a pivotal role in generating 8 million views on International Business Times, shaping the platform’s technology and gaming coverage.
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