California Judge Blocks Mass Firings Of Probationary Federal Workers

The judge expressed dismay over the treatment of probationary employees, calling them “the lifeblood of our government.” (Credit: AFP / Robyn Beck)

A federal judge in California on Thursday temporary halted a Trump administration directive that would have forced the U.S. Department of Defense and other federal agencies to carry out widespread layoffs of thousands of newly hired employees.

U.S. District Judge William Alsup, in a hearing held in San Francisco, declared that the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) does not have the authority to mandate the firing of federal employees, including probationary staff, who have less than a year of experience, Associated Press reported.