Federal courts in California and Maryland have ruled that multiple government agencies must reinstate probationary employees unlawfully terminated under directives from the Office of Personnel Management.
U.S. District Judge William Alsup in California found that the dismissals violated legal protections, while U.S. District Judge James Bredar in Maryland determined that the Trump administration failed to follow proper procedures for large-scale layoffs, including the required 60-day advance notice.
As a result, 14 federal departments—including Agriculture, Defense, Energy, Interior, Treasury, and Veterans Affairs—along with agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency, the Small Business Administration, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, must offer reinstatement to affected employees.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture issued a statement confirming its compliance, saying, “The Department will work quickly to develop a phased plan for return-to-duty, and while those plans materialize, all probationary employees will be paid.”