The Supreme Court has halted a federal judge’s ruling requiring federal agencies to reinstate around 16,000 workers laid off by the Trump administration. Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented from the decision, citing concerns about the legal standing of the nonprofit groups that sued. A judge in Maryland also issued a similar ruling, keeping affected employees on paid administrative leave. The affected agencies include the departments of Veterans Affairs, Defense, Energy, Interior, Agriculture, and Treasury. The Trump administration sought to reduce federal employees, leading to a legal dispute with unions and other groups. The administration argued that the judge did not have the authority to reinstate the workers. The Supreme Court decision addresses the claims made by nonprofit groups and may lead to further court action from the unions. The government had already said it substantially complied with the reinstatement order, making the Supreme Court intervention less necessary. Sarah Harris, acting Solicitor General at the time, criticized the ruling for violating the separation of powers. The Maryland case only required workers to be placed on administrative leave, not fully reinstated. The Department of Agriculture is also subject to a decision from the Merit System Protection Board requiring thousands of workers to be reinstated. The legal battles continue as the Trump administration’s efforts to reduce federal employees face challenges in court.
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