Feds Defend Mass Layoffs of 25,000 Probationary Federal Workers at Ninth Circuit

NewsData.io · United States · Aug 29, 2026

The federal government urged the Ninth Circuit to reverse a lower court ruling that the U.S. Office of Personnel Management wrongfully terminated approximately 25,000 probationary federal employees shortly after President Trump took office. The government argued OPM acted within its statutory authority and that the district court lacked jurisdiction, characterizing the workers as 'simply out of luck.' The case has significant implications for federal workforce reductions and the legal boundaries of executive branch personnel authority.