A U.S. appeals court ruled on Wednesday that 18 federal agencies can proceed with firing thousands of workers who had been part of President Donald Trump’s effort to reduce the size of the federal workforce. These employees had originally been dismissed in February, but were later reinstated by a lower court in Maryland.
The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, based in Richmond, Virginia, determined that the lower court judge likely lacked the authority to handle a lawsuit filed by 19 states and Washington, D.C. The lawsuit challenged the mass layoffs of probationary government employees, who are typically still in the early stages of their employment, often with less than a year of service. Some of these workers, however, were experienced federal employees who had recently moved into new positions.
In a 2-1 decision, the court paused the lower court’s ruling while the Trump administration’s appeal continues, removing the final legal hurdle preventing the federal government from re-terminating the probationary employees. This ruling follows a similar decision from the U.S. Supreme Court earlier this week, which temporarily blocked an order from a San Francisco judge requiring six federal agencies to reinstate nearly 17,000 probationary workers. Since five of those agencies were also involved in the Maryland case, the Supreme Court’s decision had a limited effect.
The lawsuit was led by Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown’s office, but they did not immediately respond to requests for comment. White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers released a statement celebrating the appeals court’s decision, asserting that it upheld the president’s authority to remove federal workers. “The Trump administration continues to rack up legal wins for the American people,” Rogers said.
The mass firings began in mid-February when the U.S. Office of Personnel Management instructed agencies to identify probationary employees deemed unnecessary. Around 25,000 employees were dismissed as part of Trump’s broader initiative to shrink the federal government and reduce spending. This effort, which also includes support from billionaire Elon Musk, has led to multiple legal challenges.
In response to these layoffs, U.S. District Judge James Bredar in Baltimore issued a temporary restraining order in March, demanding that the government reinstate approximately 24,600 workers. He later limited his ruling to employees in Washington, D.C., and the states involved in the lawsuit. However, the 4th Circuit’s ruling on Wednesday paused this decision.
The states argue that the mass firings violated a federal law requiring that agencies provide 60 days’ notice of mass layoffs. They claim the firings would lead to increased unemployment claims and a higher demand for social services.
In its ruling, the 4th Circuit stated that the lower court judge likely did not have jurisdiction over the case, but did not provide further details. The Trump administration had argued that the states lacked standing to sue because they could not show how the firings directly harmed them. In a dissenting opinion, Circuit Judge DeAndrea Gist Benjamin disagreed, stating that the states had demonstrated financial harm, including lost tax revenue and increased unemployment claims, which justified their ability to sue.
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