An independent commission has ruled that thousands of U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) employees terminated by the Trump administration must be reinstated, at least temporarily. The commission found that the firings violated civil service protections designed to shield career employees from political influence.
According to Bloomberg Law, the Merit Systems Protection Board determined there were reasonable grounds to believe that the USDA unlawfully dismissed more than 5,000 probationary employees. As a result, the Board has ordered their reinstatement while the Office of Special Counsel continues its investigation into the matter.
Meanwhile, Reuters reports that since the Trump administration’s efforts to reduce the size of the federal workforce began, an estimated 20,000 federal employees have been terminated, while another 75,000 have accepted buyouts. These figures are part of a broader restructuring of the 2.3-million-member federal civilian workforce.
Probationary workers generally have less than a year of service in their current positions, though many are long-time federal employees. The Department of Government Efficiency is leading an unprecedented effort to streamline the federal bureaucracy, a move that has sparked both support and criticism.
Sabrina Halvorson
National Correspondent / AgNet Media, Inc.
Sabrina Halvorson is an award-winning journalist, broadcaster, and public speaker who specializes in agriculture. She primarily reports on legislative issues and hosts The AgNet News Hour. She was recently named the 2024 Farm Broadcaster of the Year by the National Association of Farm Broadcasting and serves as a Council Member on the World Agriculture Forum. Sabrina is a native of California’s agriculture-rich Central Valley and now divides her time between California and North Dakota.