By Charles Switzer
12:52am PDT, Apr 11, 2025
Appeals Court Grants Trump Administration Authority to Proceed with Layoffs
The
Donald Trump administration secured a major legal victory on Wednesday, April 9, as a federal appeals court authorized the termination of thousands of federal employees.
A three-judge panel from the 4th US Circuit Court of Appeals voted 2-1 to overturn a lower court's injunction that had previously forced the administration to reinstate fired probationary workers.
In the ruling, the judges wrote that the administration is "likely to succeed in showing the district court lacked jurisdiction over Plaintiffs' claims, and the Government is unlikely to recover the funds disbursed to reinstated probationary employees."
Read on to find out all the details about Trump's court win.
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Supreme Court Decision Influences Appeals Panel
The appellate judges pointed to the Supreme Court's recent action staying a similar injunction from the US District Court for the Northern District of California.
That order had required the administration to rehire employees dismissed from six key agencies: Agriculture, Defense, Energy, Interior, Treasury and Veterans Affairs.
Judges J.
Harvie Wilkinson III, appointed by President
Ronald Reagan, and Allison Jones Rushing, a Trump appointee, voted in favor of the administration.
Judge
DeAndrea Gist Benjamin, appointed by President
Joe Biden, issued the dissenting opinion.
Challenge from Democratic Attorneys General
The legal battle was initiated by 20 Democratic attorneys general who filed suit to stop the mass layoffs, arguing that they violated federal employment law.
The plaintiffs claimed that the terminations would cause irreparable harm by pushing state governments to absorb financial responsibilities for the dismissed employees.
According to their lawsuit, at least 24,000 probationary workers — defined as those with less than one year on the job — had been dismissed since President Donald Trump returned to office.
Federal Government Defends Its Authority
The Donald Trump administration defended the dismissals, stating the federal government had exclusive authority over hiring and firing decisions within its ranks.
Officials also confirmed that around 15,000 of the fired employees had been reinstated while the legal proceedings continued.
Earlier this month, US District Judge James Bredar of Maryland, appointed by former President Barack Obama, ruled that the administration failed to follow proper "reduction-in-force" protocols.
He had issued an order requiring reinstatement of the terminated employees — a decision now reversed by the appellate court.
States Participating in the Lawsuit
The case involves a coalition of states challenging the Donald Trump administration's move.
The plaintiffs include Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia.
With the appeals court's decision now in place, the administration is permitted to continue with its broad reduction of federal staffing, a move that is likely to spark continued legal and political battles in the months ahead.
