Washington – President Trump's lawyers urged the Supreme Court on Monday to block the judge's order, requiring the administration to “immediately” rehire 16,000 federal employees.
In an emergency appeal, they argued that US District Judge William Alsup in San Francisco had no law authorization to make a second guess on the government's personnel ruling.
The appeal was the first lawsuit to demand that the High Court weigh in on the government's aggressive plans to reduce the federal workforce.
Attorney General Sarah Harris said the judge's “extraordinary restoration order violated the separation of powers and was dedicated to a district court where the executive authority was the most tolerant basis and the most hasty timeline.
She said the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit has not ruled the government's appeal to the judge's order and asked the Supreme Court to temporarily shelve the judge's order at least temporarily.
Although federal employees have legal rights as civil servants, these rights have proven to be essentially ineffective in fighting mass layoffs.
The union representing thousands of federal employees sued in late January, but their lawsuit was abandoned on the grounds that the Civil Service Act requires employees to file complaints with administrative agencies within the government.
The Supreme Court said it was the exclusive avenue for such claims.
As a backup plan, President Clinton's appointment Alsup cites claims by people who rely on the National Park Service or senior affairs, defense, energy, agriculture, interior and finance.
Speaking in court, he ordered the agencies to “revert to any and all probation employees terminated around February 13 and 14, 2025”.
Harris did not describe everything the government did to comply with the order.
She said the Supreme Court “should not allow a district court … to seize control over the rulings of federal personnel reviewing federal personnel.”
The judge may demand a response from a lawyer who filed a lawsuit in San Francisco.
