Interior, Energy must rehire fired workers, judge says

Energy & Environment

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Interior, Energy must rehire fired workers, judge says

The Trump administration must reinstate probationary government employees fired unlawfully at several agencies, including Interior and Energy, a judge has ruled.

U.S. District Judge William Alsup’s ruling broadens his previous order to now require the government to reinstate probationary employees fired on Feb. 13 and 14 at the Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, Defense, Energy, Interior and Treasury departments.

The case is one of multiple pending lawsuits challenging the mass terminations of probationary workers, who are usually in their first or second year in a role. The firings are just one dimension of a broader effort by the new Trump administration to reshape the federal bureaucracy, which has sparked dozens of lawsuits.

In a statement, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the administration will “immediately fight back” against what she called an “absurd and unconstitutional” order.

“A single judge is attempting to unconstitutionally seize the power of hiring and firing from the Executive Branch,” said Leavitt.

The Interior Department fired 2,300 probationary employees while the Energy Department reportedly got rid of around 2,000.

However, further cuts are looming across the federal government.

Read more from The Hill's Zach Schonfeld.

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