Stunning display of defiance, the Trump administration is refusing to comply with a federal judge’s order to reinstate nearly 16,000 government employees who were abruptly fired last month. Despite a clear directive from a San Francisco court, the administration has placed these workers on “administrative leave,” keeping them sidelined indefinitely while restoring their pay and benefits.
The mass firings, which targeted probationary employees across five federal agencies, were ruled illegal by U.S. District Judge William Alsup. On March 13, Alsup ordered the immediate reinstatement of all affected workers, warning that placing them on administrative leave did not satisfy his ruling. However, in a court filing Wednesday, the administration insisted that the employees would remain in limbo until their terminations were officially revoked and onboarding procedures were completed.
Labor unions and worker advocates fired back in a court filing Thursday, accusing the administration of outright defiance. They argued that officials had failed to follow the judge’s explicit directive to reinstate the workers and acknowledge that their terminations were unlawful.
The controversy stems from a February 13 directive issued by Charles Ezell, acting director of the Office of Management and Budget, instructing agencies to dismiss probationary employees under claims of poor performance. However, Judge Alsup found that many of those fired had recently received high ratings from their supervisors, contradicting the administration’s justification.
Ezell has since refused to testify about his role in the directive, claiming that the memo was merely “guidance” and had been withdrawn. Meanwhile, a senior adviser in his department, Noah Peters, is set to be questioned under oath next Wednesday.
Adding to the legal pressure, another federal judge in Maryland issued similar reinstatement orders affecting 18 additional agencies. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld Alsup’s ruling on Monday, rejecting the Trump administration’s request to delay rehiring efforts while it appeals the decision. In response, the Justice Department has asked the court to pause the case while it considers taking the fight to the Supreme Court.
“Reinstatement, while incredibly burdensome for the government, has at best an attenuated impact on any specific services,” Justice Department attorney Fasen Ross argued, claiming it would be a waste of taxpayer money to employ individuals the government no longer deems necessary.
As the legal battle escalates, thousands of federal employees remain in limbo—technically reinstated but still locked out of their jobs, awaiting the next move in a high-stakes showdown between the courts and the White House.
