Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
Judge says Trump's mass firing of federal employees is illegal and should be stopped
Listen
• 3:33
A protester with a sign saying "Federal Employees Don't Work for Kings" demonstrates in support of federal workers and against recent actions by President Trump and Elon Musk on Presidents Day in Washington, D.C.
(
Jacquelyn Martin
/
AP
)
A federal judge in San Francisco says the Trump administration likely broke the law by firing thousands of probationary employees — typically those in their first or second year in a job.
U.S. District Judge William Alsup ordered a partial halt to the firings after a hearing on Thursday afternoon. His order covers the Veterans Affairs Department, the National Parks Service, the Small Business Administration, the Bureau of Land Management, the National Science Foundation and other agencies whose firings impact the civic groups that sued the Trump administration.
The temporary restraining order came in response to a lawsuit filed by a coalition that also included labor unions. The coalition's attorneys allege that the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) unlawfully ordered agencies to carry out the firings.
"Statements from officials at multiple federal agencies admit that the agencies carried out the terminations not at their own discretion, but on the direct orders of OPM," the attorneys wrote in a court filing.
Support for LAist comes from
Government says it asked, not ordered agencies to fire employees
In court, the government's attorney argued that OPM had merely asked, not ordered, the agencies to fire probationary employees, drawing a distinction between the two.
But Alsup was unconvinced.
"How could so much of the workforce be amputated suddenly overnight? It's so irregular and widespread, so aberrant in the history of the country," he said from the bench. "I believe they were directed or ordered. That's the way the evidence points."
Alsup did find merit to the government's argument that some of the plaintiffs — the labor unions — lacked standing to bring the case in federal court. Therefore, the relief he ordered does not cover every federal agency.
But he made clear he believes widespread relief may be warranted.
Support for LAist comes from
"I'm going to count on the government to do the right thing and go further than I have ordered and to let some of these agencies know what I have ruled," he said.
Copyright 2025 NPR
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
If approved, the more than 62-acre project would include 50 housing lots and a marina less than a mile from Jackie and Shadow's famous nest overlooking the lake. -
The U.S. Supreme Court lifted limits on immigration sweeps in Southern California, overturning a lower court ruling that prohibited agents from stopping people based on their appearance.
-
Censorship has long been controversial. But lately, the issue of who does and doesn’t have the right to restrict kids’ access to books has been heating up across the country in the so-called culture wars.
-
With less to prove than LA, the city is becoming a center of impressive culinary creativity.
-
Nearly 470 sections of guardrailing were stolen in the last fiscal year in L.A. and Ventura counties.
-
Monarch butterflies are on a path to extinction, but there is a way to support them — and maybe see them in your own yard — by planting milkweed.
Best of LAist