In a showdown that pits the White House against the federal judiciary, President Donald Trump is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to step in and reverse a lower court’s order that would force his administration to rehire thousands of fired government workers. The move escalates his ongoing crusade to shrink the federal bureaucracy and rewire Washington in his second term.
At the heart of the case is a March 13 ruling by Judge William Alsup, who ordered six federal agencies to reinstate probationary employees—those still within their trial period—after concluding they were improperly terminated under a sweeping workforce purge. The judge cast doubt on the government’s rationale for the firings, calling the “poor performance” justification suspect and warning against mass dismissals masquerading as merit-based decisions.
The Justice Department, in an urgent filing on Monday, argued Alsup’s ruling crossed a constitutional line. According to the filing, the order “hijacks the employment relationship between the federal government and its workforce” and represents an overreach by the judiciary into executive authority. The administration warned that continued interference by judges undermines the separation of powers and threatens the executive branch’s ability to govern.
“This court should stop the ongoing assault on the constitutional structure before further damage is wrought,” the Justice Department stated.
The workers in question span departments including Defense, Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, Energy, Interior, and the Treasury. Many are new hires, but some are veterans of federal service reassigned to different roles. While probationary employees do have fewer protections, firings still require legitimate cause—something the judge suggested was lacking.
Alsup didn’t hold back in his rebuke of the administration’s tactics: “It is a sad day when our government would fire some good employee and say it was based on performance when they know good and well that’s a lie.”
This courtroom clash is only one front in a broader legal war. In a separate ruling, a federal judge in Baltimore ordered reinstatement of workers across 18 agencies, including the Environmental Protection Agency and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, siding with 20 Democratic-led states challenging the mass terminations.
The White House, flanked by Attorney General Pam Bondi and championed by billionaire adviser Elon Musk, has framed these judicial rulings as sabotage. Trump has slammed what he sees as rampant “judicial overreach,” taking to social media last week to call for impeachment of a judge who blocked deportation flights and demanding the end of nationwide injunctions.
“If Justice Roberts and the United States Supreme Court do not fix this toxic and unprecedented situation IMMEDIATELY, our Country is in very serious trouble!” Trump declared online.
The Justice Department warned that lower courts have issued over 40 orders disrupting federal policies since Trump returned to office in January. The administration, already facing roadblocks to its attempt to curb birthright citizenship, is now asking the high court to draw a hard line against what it calls “epidemic” judicial obstruction.
Meanwhile, Trump and Musk press ahead with plans to uproot federal institutions they view as bloated or obsolete, even if it means confronting a federal judiciary that appears ready to push back.
The message from the Oval Office is clear: Trump’s second term isn’t just about policy—it’s about power. And now, the final word may lie with the nine justices across the street.
