Worker Policy Watch
Your source for accurate and reliable information on how federal policies are shaping workers’ rights—and what’s at stake for working people nationwide under the Trump administration.
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Fourth Circuit Refuses to Pause the Reinstatement of Probationary Employees Who Were Fired from Federal Agencies
The appeals court defers to the disctrict court which found that the terminations were illegal.
Impact:
25,000 workers have the right to be reinstated to their jobs.
Trump Administration guts the Civil Rights and Immigration Liaison Offices within the Department of Homeland Security
The Trump Administration fired virtually everyone from the offices within DHS that work to ensure that our nation's immigration policies are carried out in a manner that protects the civil rights of immigrants.
Impact:
Essentially, there is now no office within DHS through which immigrants can report any violations of their civil rights, giving the Trump administration even more free rein to carry out detention and removal proceedings in a cruel and illegal fashion.
Department of Justice Withdraws 11 Pieces of Americans with Disabilities (ADA) Compliance Guidance
Among the guidance that's been withdrawn is the type of access employers must give employees to know their rights under the ADA.
Impact:
This is yet another part of the Trump Administration's attack on the hard-won civil rights that workers should enjoy in this country.
Trump Fires the Democratic Members of the Federal Trade Commission
As he has done with other agencies, Trump is trying to fire Democratic members even though FTC Commissioners can only be fired for cause.
Impact:
This is another attempt to stack the deck in the favor of businesses over workers and consumers.
The NLRB Drops a Case Against an Immigrant Detention Center which Allegedly Retaliated Against Detainees’ Concerted Activities
Detainees were working full time for as little as $1 per day and when they engaged in labor strikes, they were punished, including being sent to solitary confinement.
Impact:
With the NLRB dropping the case that was brought by the former General Counsel, it is clear that they will not protect immigrant detainees against abuse and unjust working conditions while they are in detention centers.
The Department of Justice and the EEOC Issue “Warning” Against “Illegal” Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Practices
This is yet another attempt by the administration to scare employers into giving up their perfectly legal diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, all of which are designed to help ensure compliance with the civil rights laws.
Impact:
As more employers become scared of the Administration's witch-hunts, they could scrap their best efforts to comply with the civil rights laws and make it harder for women, people of color, and other disadvantaged groups to fully and fairly compete for employment for which they are qualified.
Trump Removes a Directive Mandating that Federal Contractors Cannot Have Segregated Facilities for Their Employees
This has been a directive for federal contractors since the 1960s. Its removal continues the administration's attack on civil rights.
Impact:
Though other federal and state laws still prohibit such segregation, the administration is continuing to use it's platform to encourage the roll-back of civil rights.
Trump’s ban on transgender military service members is blocked by a federal judge
Ruling by U.S. District Court Judge Ana Reyes temporarily halts implementation of Trump’s ban against transgender individuals serving in the military.
Impact:
Judge Reyes held the ban violates equal protection because it both discriminates based on transgender status and sex and because “it is soaked in animus.” The temporary halt will keep transgender service members from the denial of essential medical care, paused deployments, forced administrative leave, and other harms.
Thousands of federal workers are reinstated per the terms of a federal judge’s ruling that their terminations were illegal
The Trump administration has taken steps to reinstate 24,000 probationary federal workers at 18 federal agencies after U.S. District Judge James Bredar orders rehiring of the wrongly terminated federal workers, though most have been put on administrative leave.
Impact:
Judge Bredar’s ruling is the second of two recent rulings that deemed the firings of probationary federal workers illegal. The majority of the 24,000 probationary workers reinstated have been put on administrative leave instead of rehired to full employment. This will continue to put those workers at risk if an appeals court rules against Judge Bredar’s reinstatement.
Federal Judge Rules that the Dismantling of USAID is Likely Unconstitutional
U.S. District Court Judge Theodore Chuang of Maryland blocks the administration from making any further cuts to the agency and orders the administration to resintate computer and email access to all fired employees.
Impact:
The order stops short of requiring the employees to be rehired and there will be further judicial proceedings to determine what happens next.