Judge Rules Against Trump in Labor Case With Implications for DOGE

A federal judge ruled on Wednesday against President Donald Trump in a case that could have major implications regarding his attempts to slash the size of the federal government.

U.S. District Judge Sparkle Sooknanan ruled that the president does not have the power to remove Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA) Chairwoman Susan Tsui Grundmann, a Democrat, and ordered her to be reinstated.

Grundmann’s reinstatement gives the FLRA a 2–1 Democratic majority until her term ends in July. Without her, the FLRA was down to one Democratic member and one Republican, suggesting it could have been split on issues surrounding key Trump decisions on cuts to the federal labor force—most notably spearheaded by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

The FLRA oversees labor relations between the federal agencies and its employees.

The agency has the power to direct federal agencies to negotiate with unions and even prevent agencies from firing unionized federal workers.

“The independence of the FLRA was central to its creation, as Congress wanted to ensure a fair, consistent, and unbiased process for managing federal labor relations that would not shift with political whims,” Sooknanan said in her ruling.

Related Stories

Trump fired Grundmann, an appointee of President Joe Biden, on Feb. 11. According to court filings, no reason was listed for her termination.

In a subsequent lawsuit, Grundmann claimed that Trump violated a federal labor relations law by terminating an FLRA chair for reasons other than those allowed by law, including “for inefficiency, neglect of duty, or malfeasance in office.”

“The government’s arguments paint with a broad brush and threaten to upend fundamental protections in our Constitution. But ours is not an autocracy; it is a system of checks and balances,” said Sooknanan.

A Department of Justice lawyer last week argued such restrictions on the president are unconstitutional.

Sooknanan in a hearing on March 7 questioned claims by Justice Department lawyer Alexander Resar, who argued that the constitutional separation of powers prevents courts from ordering the president to reinstate someone in cases where the court determines the firing goes against federal law.

“There is no recourse for a violation of law under your theory ... even though that would essentially wipe out Congress’s role and the role of the courts. That is the government’s position in this case?” Sooknanan asked.

Resar argued if the firing was found to be illegal, the judge could only grant back pay. The lawyer said the president could fire officials at any agency other than the Federal Reserve.

Sooknanan disagreed, saying Trump’s decision subverted Congress’s intention of shielding the FLRA from politics.

“The independence of the FLRA was central to its creation, as Congress wanted to ensure a fair, consistent, and unbiased process for managing federal labor relations that would not shift with political whims,” Sooknanan said.

Reuters contributed to this report.