March 6 (UPI) — An independent federal board has directed the U.S. Department of Agriculture to reinstate nearly 6,000 employees fired last month amid the Trump administration’s effort to cull the federal workforce.
The Merit Systems Protection Board issued its stay on Wednesday, ordering the USDA to reinstate the 5,692 workers it has fired for at least 45 days as it continues to consider the legality of the mass removals.
Those affected by the order are the probationary employees who have been fired since Feb. 13 by near-identical letters stating they were being relieved of their duties due to performance-related issues.
The order, written by board clerk Gina Grippando, states that “there are reasonable grounds to believe that the agency engaged in a prohibited personnel action” under the law.
The employees were fired as the administration of President Donald Trump has tried to remove tens of thousands of federal workers throughout the government via mass firings and incentive package-induced resignations facilitated by executive orders and policy changes.
The USDA probation employees to be reinstated all received a letter since Feb. 13 informing them that “The Agency finds, based on your performance, that you have not demonstrated that your further employment at the Agency would be in the public interest.”
The order issued Wednesday gives the USDA five days to submit evidence to the board showing its compliance.
Special counsel Hampton Dellinger had requested the stay on Friday on behalf of the fired workers on the grounds their removal was illegal.
On Wednesday, he celebrated the board’s ruling.
“My agency will continue to investigate and take appropriate action on prohibited personnel practices including improper terminations of probationary employees,” Dellinger said in a statement.
“Voluntarily rescinding these hasty and apparently unlawful personnel actions is the right thing to do and avoids the unnecessary wasting of taxpayer dollars.”
The announcement comes as Dellinger is one of the federal employees Trump is trying to remove.
Dellinger — who was appointed to a five-year term to lead the Office of Special Council in December by outgoing President Joe Biden — was fired on Feb. 7, but he has fought to stay in the position.
Later Wednesday, an appeals court vacated a district court’s block preventing Dellinger’s firing.