The Supreme Court on Tuesday blocked a ruling from a federal judge in California that had ordered the Trump administration to rehire thousands of federal workers who had been terminated while on probationary status.
The court’s brief order stated that the nonprofit groups that sued to challenge the dismissals had not demonstrated the type of injury necessary to establish standing to sue.
Although the ruling may have limited practical consequences, another judge's ruling requiring the reinstatement of many of the same workers is still in effect.
Justice Sonia Sotomayor dissented without providing reasons, while Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson expressed that the court should not have addressed such a significant issue in an emergency context.
This order marks another administrative victory in the Supreme Court regarding a case linked to President Trump’s recent series of executive orders. However, it remains technical and provisional, with the justices indicating that their order will persist as the case progresses.
The case originated from a preliminary injunction issued by Judge William H. Alsup of the Northern District of California last month, which mandated the reinstatement of over 16,000 probationary employees dismissed from various federal departments.
Judge Alsup acknowledged that each federal agency possesses the authority to hire and fire its employees, albeit subject to specific safeguards. He argued that the Office of Personnel Management, which coordinated the terminations, lacked the authority to manage personnel decisions across different agencies.
A divided panel from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit chose not to pause Judge Alsup’s order while the government pursued an appeal.
In an emergency application to the Supreme Court, the acting solicitor general, Sarah M. Harris, noted that federal judges have issued over 40 restraining orders or injunctions blocking administration initiatives, many of which applied nationwide.
Harris characterized Judge Alsup’s order as particularly concerning, stating that it infringes on the separation of powers by allowing a single district court to assume the executive branch’s personnel management powers on insufficient grounds.
The labor unions and nonprofit groups involved in the challenge countered that the administration should not claim that reversing the firings would be burdensome, arguing that such harm was self-inflicted.
In a separate but related case, Judge James K. Bredar of the Federal District Court in Maryland ordered the administration to reinstate federal workers last month, ruling in favor of 19 states and the District of Columbia. His recent 84-page decision reaffirmed this order, although it limited the scope to employees living or working in those specific states.
The administration is seeking a stay of Judge Bredar’s ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, which is expected to issue a decision soon.