Overview

• The Supreme Court, in a 7-2 decision, blocked a lower court's order to reinstate around 16,000 probationary federal employees dismissed by the Trump administration in February 2025.
• The Court's ruling centered on the finding that nonprofit organizations suing the administration failed to demonstrate direct harm, disqualifying their legal standing to sue.
• Judge William Alsup had previously ruled the firings illegal, citing procedural flaws and positive performance reviews for some dismissed employees, and ordered their reinstatement in March.
• The Trump administration defended the firings as part of a broader federal workforce reduction strategy aimed at cutting government spending, arguing that labor disputes should be resolved by federal labor agencies.
• Unions representing the affected workers expressed disappointment with the ruling and vowed to continue legal challenges to address the dismissals.