A California federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration from ordering the US Department of Defence and other federal agencies to carry out the mass firings of thousands of recently hired employees.
US District Judge William Alsup in San Francisco said during a hearing that the US Office of Personnel Management lacked the power to order federal agencies to fire any workers, including probationary employees who typically have less than a year of experience.
In his ruling, Alsup ordered OPM to rescind a January 20 memo and a February 14 email directing agencies to identify probationary employees who are not “mission-critical” and terminate them.
Alsup said he could not order the Defence Department itself, which is expected to fire 5,400 probationary employees on Friday, and other agencies not to terminate workers because they are not defendants in the lawsuit brought by several unions and nonprofit groups.
But he suggested that the mass firings of federal workers that began two weeks ago would cause widespread harm, including cuts to national parks, scientific research, and services for veterans.
“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,” said Alsup, an appointee of Democratic former President Bill Clinton.
The White House and the US Department of Justice did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
