Appeals court rules in favor of Trump administration in lawsuit over probationary worker layoffs

On Monday, a panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit ruled against Democratic attorneys general from 19 states and the District of Columbia, who sued the Trump administration over mass layoffs of probationary federal employees.

In a 2-1 split decision, the court overturned a lower judge's order that had indefinitely enjoined these layoffs in Washington, D.C., and the plaintiff states, finding that the states lack standing to challenge the federal government's actions, according to reports from The Hill.

Judge J. Harvie Wilkinson III (appointed by former President Ronald Reagan) wrote the majority opinion, arguing that granting standing to the states would “upset, indeed revolutionize, the balance inherent in dual sovereignty.” Wilkinson emphasized that the case involves federal enforcement of labor laws regulating government layoffs, not direct state interests. “We acknowledge that the abrupt and indiscriminate dismissal of the probationary employees here exacted all-too-human costs upon those affected,” he wrote. “But this real impact on the employees, who are not parties here, cannot govern our review.”

The court ordered the lower district judge to dismiss the case, paving the way for the Trump Administration to resume layoffs of thousands of probationary workers, especially those in their first or second year of service or recently promoted.

These cuts are part of efforts to reduce bureaucracy and federal spending, led by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), entrusted to Elon Musk, the department's former head.

The 20 Democratic attorneys general (including D.C.) filed the lawsuit in March, following the layoffs of at least 24,000 probationary employees at some 20 federal agencies.

In that line, they argued that the Administration violated federal regulations by failing to follow "downsizing" procedures, such as providing 60 days advance notice to affected workers and state governments, which would generate increased unemployment claims and costs for the states.

Initially, federal district judge James Bredar (appointed by former President Barack Obama) issued a temporary order in February to reinstate laid-off employees at 18 agencies, regardless of their location.