Supreme Court approves Trump’s firing of federal workers

In a 7–2 vote, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) ruled Tuesday that the Trump administration can fire 16,000 probationary federal workers across six agencies.

The decision overturns a lower court’s order to reinstate them.

SCOTUS justices said the labor unions and groups challenging the layoffs lacked legal standing. Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson disagreed. 

The affected agencies include Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, Defense, Energy, Interior and the Treasury. 

The unions, calling the SCOTUS decision “deeply disappointing,” warned of service disruptions and vowed to keep fighting the terminations. The case will continue in lower courts as litigation moves forward.