Court Upholds Reinstatement of Federal Workers Amid Trump's Workforce Purge

An appellate court upheld a decision requiring the Trump administration to reinstate 25,000 federal workers fired in a workforce reduction. The ruling supports an earlier decision by a Baltimore judge, amidst lawsuits from Democrat-led states challenging the legality of the job cuts involving 18 federal agencies.

A U.S. appeals court upheld a previous ruling on Friday that mandates the Trump administration to reinstate 25,000 employees at 18 federal agencies, who were part of a workforce reduction. The decision comes as a lawsuit, led by 19 Democrat-led states and Washington, D.C., challenged the legality of these dismissals.

The Richmond, Virginia-based 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals found no reason to pause the immediate reinstatement since the Baltimore judge is expected to decide soon whether to extend the ruling. The workers, many of whom are probationary employees, are on paid leave while awaiting further developments.

The terminations have affected several key federal departments, including Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, Energy, and Treasury. The Trump administration, whose broader plan aimed to reduce government spending, has been met with resistance, resulting in several court orders for reinstatement of workers using different legal standpoints across various regions.

(With inputs from agencies.)