A federal judge in California has temporarily blocked the Trump administration from directing federal agencies, including the United States Department of Defense, to carry out large-scale dismissals of recently hired employees.
During a hearing on Thursday, U.S. District Judge William Alsup in San Francisco ruled that the U.S. Office of Personnel Management lacks the authority to mandate the termination of federal workers, including probationary employees who typically have less than a year of service.
The push to downsize the federal workforce is being driven by Republican President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk, who leads the Department of Government Efficiency.
Their initiative has sparked strong resistance from Democrats, labor unions, and federal employees, who argue that the job cuts are unlawful and could significantly disrupt government operations.
Despite opposition, the administration has already been forced to reinstate certain personnel in essential roles.
However, Trump has remained steadfast in his support for Musk, fully endorsing his vision of cutting $1 trillion from the $6.7 trillion national budget.
Budget analysts suggest that Musk’s goal cannot be met by simply reducing the workforce and curbing inefficiencies, and that more drastic measures, such as cutting federal programs and benefits, may be required.
On Thursday, sources revealed that hundreds of probationary employees at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, a key agency for climate research, were informed that they were being dismissed.
NOAA officials have not responded to requests for comment.
Meanwhile, at the Internal Revenue Service, employees in the Transformation and Strategy Office, a team of 60 working on modernization projects, were warned of a possible office-wide shutdown.
A source familiar with the situation said that David Padrino, the chief of the office, intends to resign by next Friday, and that IRS executives have been told to prepare for a “drastic” reduction in staffing levels in the coming weeks.
At the same time, OPM has instructed at least two dozen remote employees that they must relocate to Washington, D.C. to retain their jobs, giving them a March 7 deadline to decide.
Judge Alsup’s ruling specifically requires OPM to withdraw its directives from January 20 and February 14, which instructed agencies to identify and fire non-“mission-critical” probationary employees.
Though the judge refrained from directly blocking the Defense Department, which is set to terminate 5,400 probationary employees on Friday, from proceeding with the dismissals, he noted that such mass layoffs could have serious consequences, including disruptions to national parks, scientific research, and veteran services.
“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,” Alsup, who was appointed by former Democratic President Bill Clinton, stated.
The White House and the U.S. Department of Justice have not issued any immediate responses regarding the ruling.
Among the plaintiffs challenging the administration’s actions are the American Federation of Government Employees, four additional unions, and several nonprofit organizations focused on veteran services and environmental conservation.
The Trump administration argues that OPM’s communications merely requested agencies to assess their probationary workforce, rather than mandating terminations.
However, Justice Department lawyer Kelsey Helland admitted during the hearing, “An order is not usually phrased as a request.”
Judge Alsup cast doubt on the claim that multiple federal agencies independently decided to implement drastic workforce reductions, emphasizing that OPM must notify the Defense Department, the National Park Service, and the Bureau of Land Management that its directives are invalid.
His temporary ruling will remain in effect while the court reviews the broader legal challenge, which argues that OPM lacks the authority to enforce these firings and that the directives amount to formal regulations, which require a lengthy administrative approval process.
The mass layoffs of probationary employees began earlier this month, followed by a second wave targeting career employees this week.
Meanwhile, a White House memo issued Wednesday has instructed agencies to submit plans by March 13 outlining a “significant reduction” in staff levels.
Although unions have filed multiple lawsuits to challenge Trump’s federal workforce overhaul since he took office last month, they have already encountered procedural obstacles in pursuing their legal battle.
