The Trump administration is taking steps to reinstate approximately 25,000 federal employees who were recently terminated following a court’s determination that the dismissals likely contravened federal regulations. In documents submitted to a Baltimore federal court on March 17, representatives from 18 government agencies indicated their intention to rehire the affected individuals, currently placing them on administrative leave, as reported by Reuters. This marks the first instance in which the administration has fully recognized the extensive layoffs, which had been the subject of widespread media coverage but had not been officially confirmed.Among the agencies most significantly impacted, the Treasury Department terminated 7,600 employees, the Department of Agriculture eliminated 5,700 positions, and the Department of Health and Human Services dismissed over 3,200 workers, according to Reuters. U.S. District Judge James Bredar ruled on March 13 that these firings violated federal layoff regulations and mandated the reinstatement of the employees while the legal proceedings are ongoing.
A lawsuit initiated by 19 states led by Democrats, along with Washington, D.C., contends that the mass layoffs could result in increased unemployment claims and additional strain on state-funded services.The Trump administration has filed an appeal against the ruling, seeking to have a higher court in Richmond, Virginia, suspend the order. Additionally, a separate court in San Francisco has ruled that probationary employees at six agencies, including the Department of Defense, must also be reinstated, a decision that is currently under challenge, as noted by Reuters. Government officials have expressed concerns that rehiring such a large number of employees simultaneously is causing significant disruptions. They also caution that if the court’s ruling is overturned, agencies may be compelled to terminate these workers once more, further contributing to the prevailing uncertainty.
