The Trump administration has won a major legal victory in its push to downsize the federal workforce, after a federal appeals court ruled in its favor on Wednesday. The decision allows the administration to move forward with the termination of thousands of probationary federal workers, stopping a lower court’s order that required those employees to be reinstated.
This ruling is seen as a key part of Donald Trump’s efforts to reduce the size of the federal government.
Appeals Court Sides With Trump Administration
The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued a split decision, with two Republican-appointed judges siding with the Trump administration and one Democratic-appointed judge dissenting.
The court found that the probationary employees—those who are still in their trial period on the job—should appeal their terminations through the federal employment process, not through a lawsuit in court.
As a result, the court halted a ruling by U.S. District Judge James Bredar in Baltimore, who had previously ordered the workers reinstated. Judge Bredar, who was appointed by a Democratic president, ruled that the Trump administration had violated federal rules when firing thousands of workers across 20 federal agencies.
Supreme Court Also Supports Trump in Related Case
This comes just one day after the U.S. Supreme Court blocked a similar ruling in California. In that case, U.S. District Judge William Alsup in San Francisco had ordered the Trump administration to reinstate probationary workers after nonprofits sued over the terminations.
However, the Supreme Court decided the nonprofits did not have legal standing to sue on behalf of the workers. The case is not over, though—Judge Alsup is still reviewing claims made by the state of Washington and several labor unions, which may result in further legal action.
What Are Probationary Federal Workers?
Probationary workers are usually new hires in federal jobs. They are still in their trial period, which means they don’t have full protections under the federal civil service system. This makes it easier for the government to terminate their employment, especially when aiming to cut costs or restructure departments.
Since Trump took office, more than 24,000 probationary federal workers have been let go, according to legal documents. Critics argue that these firings place a burden on states, which may need to provide unemployment assistance and other support to those suddenly out of work.
What States Are Suing the Trump Administration?
A total of 19 states and Washington, D.C. have filed lawsuits against the Trump administration over the mass terminations. These states include:
Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Wisconsin, plus Washington, D.C.
They argue that the large number of job losses will cause them financial strain, as they must help support the newly unemployed.
Some Workers Already Reinstated
While the legal battle continues, court records show that the Trump administration has already reinstated about 15,000 employees—some to active duty and others to paid leave while the lawsuits move forward.