Appeals court denies Trump administrations bid to pause ruling forcing federal agencies to reinstate fired workers

A federal appeals court on Wednesday denied an attempt by the Trump administration to pause a lower court ruling forcing government agencies to reinstate thousands of employees who were fired last month. In a 2-1 ruling, the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit refused the administration’s bid to stay US District Judge William Alsup’s March 13 preliminary injunction, which ordered the departments of Veterans Affairs, Defense, Energy, Interior, Agriculture and Treasury to “immediately” offer all probationary employees terminated on or about Feb.13 their jobs back.Judges Barry Silverman and Ana de Alba – appointees of former Presidents Bill Clinton and Joe Biden, respectively – ruled in favor of leaving Alsup’s injunction in place, while Judge Bridget Bade, an appointee of President Trump, dissented. “Appellants have demonstrated neither that they are sufficiently likely to succeed on the merits of this appeal nor that they will suffer irreparable harm from complying with the preliminary injunction,” read the majority opinion. Silberman and de Alba further argued that the Trump administration did not demonstrate “a likelihood that the district court clearly erred in finding that the six agencies were directed by the United States Office of Personnel Management to fire probationary employees” in violation of federal laws that dictate so-called “Reduction in Force” procedures. Meanwhile, the judges said the plaintiffs in the case – labor unions for federal workers – “provided evidence of various concrete injuries, and the district court carefully analyzed that evidence and determined that it was sufficient.” In dissent, Bade indicated that the unions “have not met their burden of showing that they have standing, and thus the government is likely to prevail on the merits because the district court did not have jurisdiction to enter the preliminary injunction.” The Trump-appointee also argued that the lower court ruling m...