Federal workers say future uncertain after court finds firings illegal
Two judges ruled Thursday that President Donald Trump’s administration needs to reinstate thousands of federal workers it fired across dozens of agencies.
WASHINGTON — Two judges ruled Thursday that President Donald Trump’s administration needs to reinstate thousands of federal workers it fired across dozens of agencies, a significant blow to its efforts to cut the size of the government.
But for those people who lost their jobs, there’s still a significant way to go before it all becomes real.
“The people who committed these violations are still in power, and I have little to no faith in their ability to observe the rule of law,” said Frank Zhu, who was fired from the Department of Housing and Urban Development in Chicago on Feb. 14. “Sorry if I’m sounding very pessimistic or like Eeyore, but I don’t feel like anything has fundamentally changed.”
Zhu was one of the many probationary workers cut by the Trump administration over the past month. The term applies to people who are newly employed by the federal government or recently switched jobs or agencies. They typically have less than two years of service in that position, and they lack full civil service protections, making it easier to fire them.
Frank Zhu.Courtesy of Frank ZhuOther recently fired federal workers who spoke to NBC News felt similarly — that there’s so much uncertainty about whether they’ll get their jobs back, especially because the legal developments aren’t over.
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