A US judge in Maryland directed 18 agencies to temporarily rehire thousands of terminated employees, dealing another judicial defeat to Trump administration efforts to shrink the federal sector.
The government gave no advance notice before firing newer workers, known as probationary employees, and conducted no individual assessments to justify their discharge based on performance, Judge James Bredar of the US District Court for the District of Maryland said Thursday in granting a temporary restraining order.
Bredar, an Obama appointee, found the terminations were unlawful workforce reductions that negatively impacted 19 states and the District of Columbia, which sued to challenge ...