More Than 100 Rulings Against the Government Since 2025: What Federal Employees Have Won

Since January 2025, judges, arbitrators, and the Merit Systems Protection Board have ruled against actions taken against federal employees more than 100 times. If you have been feeling hopeless about the state of the federal workforce, it helps to see the record laid out in one place. The administration has won some major cases too, and many of these rulings are on appeal. But count it: over and over, decision-makers have said, "You can't do that."

The count below is Shaun Southworth's summary, drawn from Just Security's litigation tracker, which lists 969 lawsuits against administration actions as of this week, along with MSPB stay orders, arbitration awards, and court dockets.

Probationary Firings

Roughly 24,000 probationary employees received form letters blaming their performance. Judge Alsup found the firings unlawful. Judge Bredar described them as reductions in force in disguise. The MSPB reinstated about 6,000 USDA workers. In Shaun's summary of the final judgment, OPM had no authority, and the record behind the firings was a sham. About 17,000 of those jobs were saved.

Reductions in Force

• RIFs were blocked at 22 agencies.
• The HHS RIF was blocked, and the First Circuit kept that ruling in place.
• NIOSH's black lung team was ordered back.
• The Department of Education's RIF was blocked.
• Shutdown RIFs were blocked, then voided by Congress.
• The State Department's cut of 250 employees was blocked again.
• A plan to cut FEMA in half was ruled unlawful, based on a number the ruling found had no real basis.

Union Contracts

Collective bargaining agreements were restored at TSA. At the VA, contracts were restored twice, and a unanimous appeals court kept that result. VA nurses, Voice of America employees, and DoDEA teachers also saw their contracts restored.

Arbitration Awards

• IRS: telework restored for tens of thousands of employees.
• Forest Service: 20,000 employees.
• HUD: 7,000 employees, plus commuting costs.
• Additional awards at SSA, HHS, the Patent Office, and USDA.
• EPA: an arbitrator ordered everyone affected by the RIF reinstated.
• HHS: an arbitrator found the agency's probationary firings were a reduction in force disguised as probationary terminations.

Agencies and Policies

• The CFPB is still standing.
• A ruling found Kari Lake never legally held her position, so her Voice of America firings are void.
• Actions against the U.S. Institute of Peace and the Institute of Museum and Library Services were ruled unlawful.
• The loyalty question on 70,000 job postings is gone.
• Partisan messages placed in employees' shutdown auto-replies were found to violate the First Amendment.
• DOGE's access to OPM records was found to be a breach of law and of trust, and the judge required the government to name every agent involved.

Individual Officials

The Register of Copyrights kept her job, and the Supreme Court refused to stop that ruling. Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook kept her seat in a 5 to 4 decision. A FEMA chief financial officer who was fired and publicly disparaged won a ruling that due process was violated. And intelligence officers fired over DEI assignments were found to be protected, a ruling affirmed on appeal.

What the Government Has Won

This is not the whole story, and it would not be honest to pretend otherwise. The Supreme Court stayed the major RIF orders and, in Trump v. Slaughter, overruled Humphrey's Executor. Appeals are pending on many of the rulings above, so none of this is final.

A Practical Takeaway

These rulings do not pause your own deadlines. If you receive a personnel action, save every letter and every email. In general, you have 30 days from the effective date of an appealable action to file with the MSPB, and 45 days to contact an EEO counselor about discrimination. Your specific deadline depends on your facts, so do not wait to find out which one applies to you.

If a coworker is spiraling, send them this list. And if you need help protecting your own rights, Southworth PC represents federal employees nationwide and worldwide.

Legal Disclaimer: This content is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Federal employment situations are fact-specific and time-sensitive. Please consult a qualified federal employment attorney about your specific situation.