A U.S. federal judge has signalled he may limit the scope of his ruling that ordered the reinstatement of nearly 25,000 federal workers fired by the Trump administration.
Judge James Bredar, who had previously blocked the mass firings, said on Wednesday that he was reluctant to impose a nationwide injunction and could instead restrict his order to Washington, D.C., and the 19 states that brought the lawsuit.
“This court has great reluctance to issue a national injunction,” Bredar told lawyers in a Baltimore hearing. However, he did not rule out the possibility, asking the states involved to justify why a broader order was necessary.
Legal Dispute Over Firings
The case stems from the Trump administration’s decision to terminate thousands of probationary federal employees, part of broader plans by former President Donald Trump and his adviser, Elon Musk, to shrink the federal workforce. The states suing the administration argue that the dismissals violated federal regulations requiring agencies to give 60 days’ notice to state and local governments before large-scale layoffs.
Judge Bredar had initially ordered the reinstatement of the affected employees on 13 March, but extended his temporary order until 1 April as he considers the states’ request for a longer-term injunction.
While the U.S. Department of Justice defended the firings, it acknowledged that any injunction should apply only to the states that sued. The government has also appealed a separate ruling in San Francisco that ordered the reinstatement of probationary workers at six federal agencies.
The outcome of the case could have major implications for federal employment policies and executive authority.
