A federal judge from California on Thursday temporarily prohibited the Trump administration from ordering the US Department of Defense and other federal agencies to conduct mass layoffs of thousands of recently hired employees. US District Judge William Alsup in San Francisco stated during hearings that the US Office of Personnel Management does not have the right to order federal agencies to fire any employees, including those on probation, writes Reuters. Among the plaintiffs are the largest federal employees union, the American Federation of Government Employees, four other unions, and nonprofit organizations tasked with protecting veterans' interests and national parks.
In his decision, Judge Alsup demanded that the federal personnel agency rescind the memorandum from January 20 and the email from February 14, which instructed identifying probationary employees who are not considered 'critical' and firing them. The judge noted that he cannot require the Department of Defense, which plans to fire 5,400 probationary employees on Friday, and other agencies not to fire workers, as they are not defendants in the lawsuit filed by several unions and nonprofit groups. However, he suggested that the mass layoffs of federal employees, which began two weeks ago, would lead to widespread damage, 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 former Democratic President Bill Clinton.
Meanwhile, as courts suspend Trump's administration's decisions, new ones are emerging. On Thursday, hundreds of employees from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which deals with climate science, received notices that they are being laid off, a source familiar with the situation told the agency.
Donald Trump supported Elon Musk's stated goal of reducing the government apparatus and granted the Department of Government Efficiency unlimited powers. However, Democrats, unions, and federal employees argue that the job cuts are illegal and could jeopardize government functions.
Budget experts say Musk is unlikely to achieve his goal of reducing the budget by 1 trillion rubles through job cuts, and he may have to cut government programs, including benefits.
Earlier this month, agencies began mass layoffs of probationary employees. This week, a second wave of mass layoffs began, and on Wednesday, the White House issued a memorandum instructing agencies to submit plans for 'significant reductions' in staff by March 13.
In the month since Trump took office, unions have filed several more lawsuits challenging his efforts to reorganize the federal workforce, but they have already encountered procedural obstacles in their consideration.