US judge blocks widespread firings of federal employees at some agencies

By Serdar Dincel

ISTANBUL (AA) - A US federal judge ruled Thursday that the mass firings of probationary federal employees were likely unlawful, granting temporary relief to labor unions and organizations challenging the sweeping workforce reductions under the Donald Trump presidency, according to media reports.

The ruling imposes one of the broadest pauses yet on Trump’s efforts to implement mass firings across federal agencies, which represent a sharp break from former presidents, who submitted bills to Congress to cut budgets rather than fire thousands of workers at will.

The case focused on the role of the Office of Personnel Management, under acting director Charles Ezell, in directing agencies to reduce their workforces by targeting probationary employees first.

During a hearing in San Francisco, California, US District Judge William Alsup directed the personnel office to notify specific federal agencies, including the Defense Department, that it lacks the authority to order the mass termination of probationary employees, according to CNN.

The ruling could immediately halt widespread firings of federal probationary workers.

Alsup said the personnel office has no legal authority, past or present, to hire or fire any federal employees outside its own agency.

He granted a temporary restraining order requested by labor unions and nonprofits in their lawsuit against the mass firings. Before the hearing, he sought clarification on the extent of the personnel office’s role in directing agencies to cut staff.

- Personnel director denies 'mass termination program'

In a sworn statement, Ezell denied the existence of a “mass termination program” and said his office had not instructed agencies to fire probationary employees for performance or misconduct. Instead, he claimed individual agencies were responsible for job cuts and performance reviews.

His statement seems to be at odds with the wave of firings that began after Trump took office on Jan. 20, which are of a scale and speed unseen in US history.

However, Ezell acknowledged in a court filing that he had provided guidance to federal agencies on Trump's first day in office and again this month, emphasizing that probationary employees were not finalized hires and advising agencies to "manage staffing levels."

Thousands of probationary employees, including those at the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) tax agency, have already been dismissed, with the Trump administration planning further job cuts. These workers have fewer job protections than long-term employees.

A lawsuit filed by five labor unions and five nonprofits is one of several legal challenges against the administration’s push to significantly reduce the federal workforce, which Trump has criticized as bloated and inefficient, yet citing vague assertions or evidence which later turns out to be false or misleading.

The plaintiffs argue OPM lacked authority to fire probationary workers and falsely cited poor performance. The government claims OPM only advised agencies to review staff, emphasizing retention of top-performing and mission-critical workers.

Estimated 200,000 probationary employees work across federal agencies, including 15,000 in California. While the judge's order halts the firings, plaintiffs see it as just the start of their legal fight.