A United States federal judge on Thursday ordered the Donald Trump administration to reinstate probationary workers who were recently dismissed from various agencies, including the Department of Defence.

This was reported by Fox News on Thursday.

The ruling was issued by Justice William Alsup in San Francisco.

The administration is expected to file an appeal against the decision by U.S. District Judge Alsup.

The judge’s order came during a federal court hearing over a lawsuit filed by labour unions and other groups challenging the mass dismissals directed by the Office of Personnel Management, OPM.

The plaintiffs argue that the dismissals violate the Administrative Procedure Act and congressional laws governing agency hiring and firing practices.

The judge had previously ruled that the OPM lacked the authority to dismiss workers, including probationary employees who typically have less than a year of civil service experience.

The affected agencies include the Departments of Defence, Agriculture, Energy, Interior, Treasury, and Veterans Affairs.

This ruling marks another judicial setback for the Trump administration and its policies in its final 100 days.

US judge orders Trump administration to reinstate mass-sacked federal workers