The Supreme Court on Tuesday said the Trump administration can move forward with the termination of 16,000 probationary federal workers across six agencies and departments, rescinding a lower court order that they be reinstated as litigation challenging the layoffs continues.
In a brief, unsigned order, the court said the nine labor unions and nonprofit groups that had challenged the firings lacked standing in the matter. The groups’ “allegations [of harm] are presently insufficient to support the organizations’ standing,” the order read.
Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson indicated that they would have denied Trump’s request.
The U.S. Supreme Court is seen April 7, 2025 in Washington.
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A federal judge last month ordered the administration to reinstate the employees at the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Defense, the Department of Energy, the Department of Interior and the Department of Treasury.
The Trump administration appealed to the Supreme Court for an emergency stay of the judge’s order, arguing the plaintiffs lacked standing and had “hijacked the employment relationship between the federal government and its workforce.”
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
