Fired CISA probationary employees to be reinstated after US judges order last week CBS News
pWatch CBS Newspp
March 17 2025 156 PM EDT
CBS News
ppMore than 130 probationary employees fired last month from the nations top cyber defense agency will be reinstated Monday after the Trump administration scrambled to comply with a sweeping court order issued last weekppThe employees all of whom were hired or promoted within the past three years wont immediately return to the office but instead will be placed on paid administrative leaveppMaryland US District Judge James Bredar on Thursday demanded the Trump administration reinstate the probationary employees it initially terminated if they were part of the mass firing though he did not ban the government from lawfully terminating probationary employees under a reduction in force or for cause ppIn an email sent Sunday night and obtained by CBS News the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency known as CISA informed the workers that their employment has been restored at the pay rate they had before they were terminatedppUpon reinstatement your pay and benefits will restart and all requirements of federal employment will be applicable including your ethical obligations the email read If you do not wish to be reinstated please respond with a written statement declining to be reinstated as quickly as possible Nothing in this process implicates your ability to voluntarily resignppJudge Bredar ordered probationary employees at 18 federal agencies to be reinstated by March 17 either to their jobs or to be placed on administrative leave The temporary restraining order directed the departments of Agriculture Commerce Education Energy Health and Human Services Homeland Security Housing and Urban Development Interior Labor Transportation Treasury and Veterans Affairs as well as the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Environmental Protection Agency Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation General Services Administration Small Business Administration and US Agency for International Development to rejoin fired federal workers to the payroll ppOn Monday morning CISA posted a message on its home page noting it is making every effort to individually contact all impacted individuals but added that fired employees who believe they fall under the Courts order should contact the agency ppOver 4 of CISAs workforce were fired en masse an event known as the Valentines Day Massacre by employees A formletter email previously informed employees they were not fit for continued employment because your ability knowledge and skills do not fit the Agencys current needs ppAmong those impacted were the nations threat hunters incident response team members disabled veterans and employees whod already signed onto the federal governments deferred resignation programppThe cuts also decimated many of the agencys top recruits enlisted through a program known as the Cyber Talent Management System plus analysts with topsecret security clearancesppIt remains unclear if the agency plans to offer backpay to those previously removed Complicating their reinstatement several of the previously fired CISA employees told CBS News they had already been instructed to return their laptops and equipment to the agency Others said they do not expect to be required to physically return to the office ppThe temporary restraining order is set to expire March 27 at 8 pm unless the court acts to extend it ppCBS News has reached out to both CISA and DHS for commentppNicole Sganga is CBS News homeland security and justice correspondent based in Washington DC reporting across all shows and platforms including the CBS Evening News CBS Mornings CBS Saturday Morning and CBS Weekend Newspp
2025 CBS Interactive Inc All Rights Reserved
ppCopyright 2025 CBS Interactive Inc All rights reservedp
March 17 2025 156 PM EDT
CBS News
ppMore than 130 probationary employees fired last month from the nations top cyber defense agency will be reinstated Monday after the Trump administration scrambled to comply with a sweeping court order issued last weekppThe employees all of whom were hired or promoted within the past three years wont immediately return to the office but instead will be placed on paid administrative leaveppMaryland US District Judge James Bredar on Thursday demanded the Trump administration reinstate the probationary employees it initially terminated if they were part of the mass firing though he did not ban the government from lawfully terminating probationary employees under a reduction in force or for cause ppIn an email sent Sunday night and obtained by CBS News the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency known as CISA informed the workers that their employment has been restored at the pay rate they had before they were terminatedppUpon reinstatement your pay and benefits will restart and all requirements of federal employment will be applicable including your ethical obligations the email read If you do not wish to be reinstated please respond with a written statement declining to be reinstated as quickly as possible Nothing in this process implicates your ability to voluntarily resignppJudge Bredar ordered probationary employees at 18 federal agencies to be reinstated by March 17 either to their jobs or to be placed on administrative leave The temporary restraining order directed the departments of Agriculture Commerce Education Energy Health and Human Services Homeland Security Housing and Urban Development Interior Labor Transportation Treasury and Veterans Affairs as well as the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Environmental Protection Agency Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation General Services Administration Small Business Administration and US Agency for International Development to rejoin fired federal workers to the payroll ppOn Monday morning CISA posted a message on its home page noting it is making every effort to individually contact all impacted individuals but added that fired employees who believe they fall under the Courts order should contact the agency ppOver 4 of CISAs workforce were fired en masse an event known as the Valentines Day Massacre by employees A formletter email previously informed employees they were not fit for continued employment because your ability knowledge and skills do not fit the Agencys current needs ppAmong those impacted were the nations threat hunters incident response team members disabled veterans and employees whod already signed onto the federal governments deferred resignation programppThe cuts also decimated many of the agencys top recruits enlisted through a program known as the Cyber Talent Management System plus analysts with topsecret security clearancesppIt remains unclear if the agency plans to offer backpay to those previously removed Complicating their reinstatement several of the previously fired CISA employees told CBS News they had already been instructed to return their laptops and equipment to the agency Others said they do not expect to be required to physically return to the office ppThe temporary restraining order is set to expire March 27 at 8 pm unless the court acts to extend it ppCBS News has reached out to both CISA and DHS for commentppNicole Sganga is CBS News homeland security and justice correspondent based in Washington DC reporting across all shows and platforms including the CBS Evening News CBS Mornings CBS Saturday Morning and CBS Weekend Newspp
2025 CBS Interactive Inc All Rights Reserved
ppCopyright 2025 CBS Interactive Inc All rights reservedp
