Federal court temporarily halts agency firings

A federal court in Maryland issued a temporary restraining order blocking the Trump Administration from terminating probationary employees at 16 federal departments and agencies, including the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the FDIC, and the Treasury Department.

District Judge James Bredar issued the ruling in response to a lawsuit filed by Maryland and several other states, which argued that the dismissals were unlawful. The order requires the administration to reinstate all affected employees by March 17, though it expires on March 27 unless extended.

The Trump Administration filed an emergency appeal with the U.S. Supreme Court regarding the federal court’s halt.