A federal judge ordered the Trump administration on Thursday to reinstate probationary workers who were let go in recent mass firings from six different agencies, including the Department of Defense.
The administration is expected to file an appeal against the ruling by U.S. District Judge William Alsup in San Francisco.
The judge’s order came during a federal court hearing over a lawsuit from labor unions and other groups challenging the mass termination being directed by the Office of Personnel Management.
Those plaintiffs say it violates Administrative Procedure Act requirements and congressional laws that deal with agency hiring and firing practices.
BLUE STATE OFFERS TO HIRE FEDERAL WORKERS FIRED BY DOGE
The judge earlier ruled OPM lacked the power to fire workers, including probationary employees who normally have less than a year of civil service on the job.
The agencies affected included Defense, Agriculture, Energy, Interior, Treasury and Veterans Affairs.
The number of fired workers was in the thousands, according to Reuters.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
