The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has been ordered to reinstate approximately 130 probationary workers who were terminated as part of widespread federal job cuts.
A U.S. District Court judge issued a temporary restraining order on March 13 in the case of Maryland v. the U.S. Department of Agriculture, finding that the terminations carried out by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) were likely unlawful. The ruling affects an estimated 25,000 federal workers who have been fired since January 20, 2025.
Among those affected at CISA were entire red teams – cybersecurity professionals who attempt to breach systems to identify vulnerabilities – along with their support staff. Senior penetration tester Christopher Chenoweth wrote on LinkedIn that “over 100 people” were impacted when DOGE terminated his team’s contract on February 28, adding that a second CISA red team was cut the following Wednesday, March 5.
While CISA has technically complied with the court order to reinstate the workers, the agency has immediately placed them on paid administrative leave, as seen in the email sent to affected employees below, obtained by cybersecurity report Eric Geller.
Earlier yesterday, March 18, the CISA website briefly reflected the language of the court order. However, there appears to have been some difficulty contacting all impacted employees (see image “CISA Probationary Reinstatements”), as the site originally directed former employees to “provide a password protected attachment that provides your full name, your dates of employment (including date of termination), and one other identifying factor such as date of birth or social security number.”
The CISA website now only states “The Court issued a Temporary Restraining Order in Maryland, et al v. United States Dep’t of Agriculture, et al, No. 25-cv-00748, Docket No. 43 (D. Md.) (March 13, 2025). If you believe you are a CISA employee whose termination fell within the Court’s order and have questions regarding your reinstatement, please reach out to [email protected]” on its News page.
The administration claimed the cuts were necessary to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse of federal funds, but critics argue they were made without strategic planning and have disrupted critical services that protect national security.
The ruling also specifically stated it includes the following 18 agencies: 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 the U.S. Agency for International Development.
The temporary restraining order is set to expire March 27 at 8 p.m., unless the court acts to extend it. A hearing on a motion for a preliminary injunction is scheduled for March 26 in Baltimore, which could determine whether these workers will be allowed to return to their duties or remain on admin leave on the government payroll.
