Federal Agencies Ordered to Rehire Wrongfully Terminated Employees by DOGE

American Federation of Labor Congress of Industrial Organizations

A federal judge has ruled that tens of thousands of probationary employees who were terminated must be reinstated. US District Judge William Alsup in San Francisco issued a preliminary injunction, expanding on a prior temporary restraining order. The order mandates that federal agencies reinstate the dismissed employees, halt further terminations, and prevents the US Office of Personnel Management (OPM) from issuing additional guidelines on terminations. In his ruling, Alsup determined that OPM lacked the authority to terminate federal probationary employees.

Violet Wulf-Saena, founder and executive director of Climate Resilient Communities, responded to the decision by emphasizing the adverse impact of the terminations on environmental justice efforts. She stated that the removal of public service employees would harm communities in polluted areas and called the ruling a crucial victory for ongoing environmental initiatives.

The injunctive relief aligns with the lawsuit filed against OPM on February 19 by plaintiffs, including the American Federation of Government Employees, American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees, AFGE Local 1216, and United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals. The case challenges the legality of the terminations, arguing that OPM exceeded its authority and failed to adhere to the statutory rule-making process required under the Administrative Procedure Act.

Six federal agencies were directly implicated in the ruling: the Treasury, Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, Defense, Energy, and Interior Departments. During his ruling, Alsup indicated that the decision could potentially extend to other agencies in the future.

The terminations followed an Executive Order issued on February 11, under which the Trump Administration directed federal agency heads to prepare for large-scale workforce reductions. According to the lawsuit, probationary employees received standardized letters from OPM citing performance issues as the basis for termination.

The ruling represents a setback for the Trump Administration’s efforts to restructure the federal workforce and reduce government spending. By blocking the mass terminations, the decision reinforces procedural protections for probationary employees and limits OPM’s authority in executing widespread workforce reductions.