Federal Judge Halts Trump Administration's Mass Firings of Government Employees

A California judge ruled that the U.S. Office of Personnel Management likely lacked authority to order widespread dismissals of probationary federal workers.

• Judge William Alsup in San Francisco issued a preliminary injunction, blocking the Trump administration's directive for mass terminations of federal employees on probationary status.
• The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) was found to likely lack legal authority to mandate such dismissals, as this power rests with individual federal agencies according to U.S. law.
• The layoffs, which reportedly affected tens of thousands of probationary employees, were challenged by unions and nonprofit organizations who argued the firings were unjustified and based on false claims of poor performance.
• The OPM's directive targeted approximately 200,000 probationary federal workers, with thousands already dismissed, including those in critical roles such as wildfire prevention and veterans' services.
• The Trump administration, with Elon Musk acting as a cost-cutting advisor, has prioritized reducing government expenditures through measures including workforce downsizing, though this legal challenge represents a significant obstacle.

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