Supreme Court clears way for Trump to fire 16,000 federal workers
Shreedhar Rathi | Apr 09, 2025, 00:13 IST
( Image credit : AP )
The Supreme Court has allowed the Trump administration to proceed with terminating 16,000 probationary federal employees, overturning a lower court's block. Justices Sotomayor and Jackson dissented, while the court majority found the challenging labor unions lacked legal standing. This decision impacts six federal departments and raises concerns about presidential authority over the federal workforce, potentially leading to further legal challenges.
The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday granted the Trump administration permission to proceed with the termination of 16,000 probationary federal employees, overturning a lower court order that had temporarily blocked the mass layoffs.
In a brief, unsigned decision, the high court ruled that the coalition of nine labor unions and nonprofit organizations that brought the case lacked legal standing. “The allegations [of harm] are presently insufficient to support the organizations’ standing,” the court wrote.
Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented, indicating they would have denied the administration’s emergency request.
The ruling allows the Trump administration to continue with its sweeping downsizing of the federal workforce, targeting probationary employees — many of them recently hired or newly promoted — across six federal departments: Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, Defense, Energy, Interior, and Treasury.
A federal district court judge had previously ordered the reinstatement of those workers while litigation over the legality of the terminations played out. That ruling is now effectively paused, pending further court proceedings.
The administration’s attorneys argued that the plaintiffs had “hijacked the employment relationship between the federal government and its workforce,” and claimed the government had the clear authority to dismiss probationary employees at will.
Opponents of the move, including major unions, warned of serious consequences.
“Because probationary employees include not only those new to the government but also those recently promoted, agencies lost experienced individuals and directors of programs and were left with arbitrary and unexpected gaps in critical functions,” the groups said in a court filing.
The coalition called the Supreme Court’s order “deeply disappointing” but pledged to continue challenging the firings in court.
“Despite this setback, our coalition remains unwavering in fighting for these workers who were wronged by the administration, and in protecting the freedoms of the American people. This battle is far from over,” the group said in a statement Tuesday evening.
The case is expected to become a major legal test of presidential authority over the federal workforce and may ultimately return to the high court for a ruling on the merits.
In a brief, unsigned decision, the high court ruled that the coalition of nine labor unions and nonprofit organizations that brought the case lacked legal standing. “The allegations [of harm] are presently insufficient to support the organizations’ standing,” the court wrote.
Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented, indicating they would have denied the administration’s emergency request.
The ruling allows the Trump administration to continue with its sweeping downsizing of the federal workforce, targeting probationary employees — many of them recently hired or newly promoted — across six federal departments: Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, Defense, Energy, Interior, and Treasury.
A federal district court judge had previously ordered the reinstatement of those workers while litigation over the legality of the terminations played out. That ruling is now effectively paused, pending further court proceedings.
The administration’s attorneys argued that the plaintiffs had “hijacked the employment relationship between the federal government and its workforce,” and claimed the government had the clear authority to dismiss probationary employees at will.
Opponents of the move, including major unions, warned of serious consequences.
“Because probationary employees include not only those new to the government but also those recently promoted, agencies lost experienced individuals and directors of programs and were left with arbitrary and unexpected gaps in critical functions,” the groups said in a court filing.
The coalition called the Supreme Court’s order “deeply disappointing” but pledged to continue challenging the firings in court.
“Despite this setback, our coalition remains unwavering in fighting for these workers who were wronged by the administration, and in protecting the freedoms of the American people. This battle is far from over,” the group said in a statement Tuesday evening.
The case is expected to become a major legal test of presidential authority over the federal workforce and may ultimately return to the high court for a ruling on the merits.