The order by Judge William Alsup, who called the OPM directive "illegal," does not reinstate any recently dismissed government employees, but it could affect future attempts at firings.

The judge said that the Office of Personnel Management had no authority to order government organizations to fire workers.

A California federal judge on Thursday ordered the Office of Personnel Management to rescind orders that directed the mass firings of probationary employees at federal agencies, a major blow to the Trump administration ’s efforts to drastically slash the size of the government.