According to a report by Reuters on Thursday, a U.S. federal judge temporarily blocked an order from the Donald Trump administration that called for mass firings of recently hired federal employees.

San Francisco district judge William Alsup ruled that the U.S. Office of Personnel Management lacked the authority to direct federal agencies to terminate employees, including probationary workers with less than a year of experience.

The court’s decision follows an announcement by U.S. President Donald Trump and billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, who co-chairs the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), regarding planned layoffs aimed at reducing administrative costs.

Judge William Alsup directed the Office of Personnel Management to withdraw a memo from January 20 and an email from February 14, which had instructed federal agencies to identify and dismiss probationary employees who were not considered “mission-critical.”

He noted that the large-scale job cuts, which began earlier this month, would have far-reaching consequences, affecting national parks, scientific research and services for veterans.

“Probationary employees are the lifeblood of our government. They come in at a low level and work their way up. That's how we renew ourselves,” Judge Alsup stated.

On Friday, the Department of Defence is set to dismiss 5,400 probationary employees, as the lawsuit filed by employee unions does not cover their case. However, the judge ruled that the government's email and memo regarding the matter were invalid and instructed officials to notify the department of this decision.

Everett Kelley, President of the American Federation of Government Employees, one of the unions involved in the lawsuit, criticised the mass firings, stating, "These are rank-and-file workers who joined the federal government to make a difference in their communities, only to be suddenly terminated due to this administration's disdain for federal employees and desire to privatise their work."

The US Justice Department, representing the Trump administration, defended the memo and email in court, arguing that they merely directed federal agencies to assess their probationary employees and determine potential layoffs. They emphasised that it was a request, not a directive to fire workers.

Additionally, a White House memo released on Wednesday instructed agencies to present plans by March 13 for a "significant reduction" in their workforce.