US judge questions his power to reinstate federal workers nationwide

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Reuters

March 26, 2025 4:48 PM EDT Updated 12 hours ago


BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, March 26 (Reuters) - A federal judge who ordered the Trump administration to reinstate nearly 25,000 fired government employees said on Wednesday that he could narrow his ruling to workers based in Washington, D.C., and the 19 mostly Democratic-led states that sued over the mass firings.

U.S. District Judge James Bredar during a hearing in Baltimore, Maryland, said he was concerned that he lacked the power to issue an order affecting states that are not involved in the lawsuit. "This court has great reluctance to issue a national injunction," Bredar told a lawyer from the Maryland Attorney General's office. "That doesn't mean the court won't issue one in this case — you're going to have to show me it's essential for remedying any harms that your clients are specifically experiencing."

Bredar acknowledged that nationwide injunctions have become increasingly controversial and that judges' powers to issue them are unsettled. The Trump administration and other Republican officials have said that nationwide orders improperly limit the president's powers.

Bredar extended his March 13 temporary restraining order, which was set to expire on Thursday, until April 1 to give him time to rule on the states' request to block the mass firings of probationary employees pending the outcome of the lawsuit. Probationary workers typically have less than a year of service in their current roles, though some are longtime federal employees.

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/us-judge-questions-his-power-reinstate-federal-workers-nationwide-2025-03-26/

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He should "go rogue" like the 5th Circuit District judges do and just make it "nationwide". That Circuit is the go-to for the RW loons because they have made a decision to say "up you" to the rest of us... So...

[no_hypocrisy]

1. Why would a federal judge restrict (discriminate against) fired federal workers

not in D.C. and not in democratic states from his consideration?

[pnwmom]

3. Because of precedent. nt

[no_hypocrisy]

4. Point taken.

I just find it to be restricting the 14th Amendment of Equal Rights.

[pnwmom]

5. If course it is. Unfortunately, the more rural states seem to be fine with that. nt

[neohippie]

9. They were not part of the lawsuit

The judge stated that since only those states were members of the lawsuit that he was concerned about making the ruling nationwide but also said that didn't mean he wasn't considering it

[pnwmom]

2. Or he could just apply it to the 19 states and let the politicians in the remaining states face the consequences. nt

[BumRushDaShow]

6. There are purple states like PA

with a (D) Governor but a (R) AG (the latter who is obviously not going to join the (D) AGs), so that is where we need the broader coverage... although it makes "technical" sense to have them primarily cover the region where the suit was filed.

But this is something that continually gets gamed by the GOP, who have targeted their suits in the 5th Circuit, where the judges are 12 (R) and 5 (D) (another reason why they have been doing renditions of innocent immigrants and holding them in Louisiana, which is in the 5th Circuit).

[MayReasonRule]

12. Dead On Point

[elocs]

7. And Trump questions the power of any federal judge to make him do anything.

I wonder who will win this disagreement, when Trump will get to the point when he openly just ignores any federal judge and if he would do the same to SCOTUS?
We'll need to stay tuned to the next episode of As America Turns.

[BumRushDaShow]

8. You might recall a couple years ago when the state of Alabama ignored a SCOTUS decision

related to redistricting - https://www.cnn.com/2023/07/24/politics/alabama-congressional-map-what-matters/index.html

In defiance, they did their own thing again and a lower court threw that out and appointed a 3rd party to draw the map that was eventually used in the 2024 election - https://www.politico.com/news/2023/09/05/court-throws-out-alabama-gop-congressional-map-for-violating-voting-rights-act-00113962

With all the back and forth, AL finally elected a 2nd (D).

[elocs]

10. Although hopeful, that was then and this is now.

Trump is like the petulant child when told to do something replies, "make me!"
What can really be done to "make him" obey? Because between him and Musk it appears they have done many things they weren't supposed to be able to done yet still have done them. So is there a line for them that's too much? Because our democracy rests upon that line and the ability of SCOTUS to make Trump do as they order or have ruled.

[BumRushDaShow]

11. Well what was interesting about that AL case

was that the court "appointed" someone TO DO what was ordered.

So depending on what the case is about (although most of what is happening now is to force him to NOT do something), that might be an option down the line...