Federal Judge William Alsup of San Francisco said the firing of federal probationary employees was based on «lies» and that the government had illegally carried out the evictions, calling the initiative a «fiction.» The judge ordered the immediate reinstatement of the employees — more than 20,000 people.
Federal Judge William Alsup of San Francisco said the firing of federal probationary employees was based on «lies» and that the government had illegally carried out the evictions, calling the initiative a «fiction.» The judge ordered the immediate reinstatement of the employees — more than 20,000 people.
The case before Judge Alsup involved a lawsuit brought by labor groups representing newly hired workers, a category that has been hit by massive government layoffs as DOGE and the Trump administration have sought to significantly reduce the federal workforce.
The reinstatements affect thousands of federal employees who were laid off from the Department of Defense, Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Agriculture, Department of Energy, Department of Treasury, and Department of the Interior. According to the US government portal Government Executive, about 24,000 employees will return to their jobs as a result of the judge’s decision, writes Gizmodo.
Alsup said the government’s layoffs were illegal because the agencies affected by the layoffs had received orders from the Office of Personnel Management. OPM does not have the authority to issue such orders, which can only be issued by the agencies themselves, the judge concluded.
