Federal Judge Halts Trump’s Agency Staff Purge, Orders Reinstatements

Judge William Alsup finds federal government should restore positions to all probationary workers whose employment ended unlawfully. On Thursday a federal judge in San Francisco made a key decision that forced Trump administration cuts in federal employee ranks because they broke rules. 

U.S. District Judge William Alsup decided in San Francisco that the government agencies needed to reinstate employees who lost their jobs during the mass termination process.

The court order impacts workers from six major federal departments: Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, Defense, Energy, Interior, and Treasury. Labor unions formed a group to fight the Trump administration’s plan to quickly cut federal employees which Judge Alsup ruled against following their lawsuit.

The courts created a major obstacle for the administration’s organization-related changes by protecting initial employees from improper group dismissals. As of now, the White House has not shown its intention to challenge this ruling.