The Weekly Wrap: Fired Federal Employees Must Be Rehired, Judge Rules

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Fired Federal Employees Must Be Rehired, Judge Rules on Thursday

This week, U.S. District Judge William Alsup ordered several federal agencies to rehire tens of thousands of probationary employees who were fired during the Trump administration’s attempt to drastically shrink the federal government, according to Politico. Alsup described the firings as a “sham” and an attempt to bypass legal requirements to reduce the federal workforce.

“It is a sad day when our government would fire some good employee and say it was based on performance when they know good and well that is a lie,” Alsup said.

With this ruling, the Defense, Treasury, Energy, Interior, Agriculture, and Veterans Affairs departments have been ordered to rehire all the probationary employees who were let go. However, once these workers are back, their jobs are not permanently guaranteed. Alsup noted that the departments can shrink the government workforce if they use proper procedures.

Boston Is Now a Sanctuary City for the LGBTQ+ Community

City councilors voted overwhelmingly to declare Boston as a sanctuary city for the LGBTQ+ community, with a particular focus on protecting trans people, NBC Boston reports.

This vote comes as the current federal administration is trying to eliminate rights — from healthcare to access to sports — for trans people. The resolution reads, in part, “Boston will not cooperate with federal or state policies that harm transgender and gender-diverse people and remains committed to ensuring their access to healthcare, housing, education, and employment without fear or discrimination.”

USDA Cuts $1 Billion in Funding for Schools and Food Banks

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is cutting two federal programs “that provided about $1 billion in funding to schools and food banks to buy food directly from local farms, ranchers and producers,” CBS News reports. The programs — Local Food for Schools program and the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement — will be terminated following a 60-notice, an agency spokesperson told the outlet.

Scottsdale Unified School District in Arizona will lose $100,000 with these cuts. “It’s a pretty big hit, and that’s mostly fresh fruits and vegetables,” said Patti Bilbrey, director of nutrition services at the district. “It wasn’t just about keeping food costs low — it meant supporting your community and your local farmers in your state.”

The EPA Plans to Close All Environmental Justice Offices

The Trump-era EPA plans to eliminate all of its environmental justice offices, according to reporting from the New York Times. This news about these offices, which are “responsible for addressing the disproportionately high levels of pollution facing poor communities,” comes from an internal memo by agency administrator Lee Zeldin, which the Times obtained.

Also, a judge criticized the EPA’s climate grant cancellations, Politico reports. The agency canceled $20 billion in funding for climate groups, which the Biden administration entrusted Citi to manage. The EPA was not able to provide any evidence of wrongdoing. During a Wednesday hearing about the Climate United Fund, which had been awarded $7 billion, accessing those funds, Judge Tanya Chutkan of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia did not say who she’d side with. But a ruling is expected at some point. The timeline was not clear.

Mahmoud Khalil Sues Columbia and Lawmakers

Mahmoud Khalil, the Columbia graduate who was arrested last weekend by ICE, is suing his alma mater to block the university from giving student disciplinary records to lawmakers, according to The Hill. He is joined on the suit by seven current students. Khalil played a role in pro-Palestinian demonstrations on the campus, and “the Trump administration has made clear that the arrest is in response to his political activities,” the outlet reports.

Khalil is being held in a detention facility in Louisiana, which is also where the Trump administration is asking his case to be transferred, the Guardian reports. Khalil’s lawyers said this request is an attempt to silence political dissent. Judge Jesse Furman of the Southern District of New York blocked the deportation of Khalil. Soon, he’ll decide whether the case should remain in Manhattan (where he was arrested), move to New Jersey (where he was initially held), or transfer to Louisiana (where he is currently detained).

Across the country, people have taken to the streets to show support for Khalil and demand his release.

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MORE NEWS

• Trump’s FBI moves to criminally charge major climate groups. The New Republic

• Affordable housing threatened as Trump halts $1 billion program to extend life of aging buildings. PBS

• Trump administration asks Supreme Court to partly allow birthright citizenship restrictions. AP

• The Bill Gates era of climate giving has ended. Heatmap

• Black farmers mobilize to protect vital HBCU scholarship. Capital B

• Trump tariffs plunge local NYC businesses into uncertainty. The City

• Colorado residents now have a way to ‘see’ the toxic emissions they live with. Capital & Main

OPPORTUNITIES & RESOURCES

• The Government of Canada has re-opened its Affordable Housing Innovation Fund portal for proposals that address barriers to innovative homebuilding, particularly using scalable modular and prefabricated building solutions. Submit a proposal.

• The Urban Institute and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation are funding efforts to collect, analyze and use data through their Local Data for Equitable Communities grant program. (Disclosure: RWJF currently funds Next City.) Submit a proposal by March 18.

• Open Architecture Collaborative is leading a 10-week online course on community building practices, community engagement strategies and more. Apply by March 18.

• The Community Design Collaborative, in partnership with AIA Philadelphia and the John Stewardson Memorial Fellowship in Architecture, is running its inaugural Accessory Dwelling Unit Design Competition. Complete registration and eligibility forms by March 26.

• The USC Annenberg Innovation Lab is looking for artists, creators, innovators, organizers, strategists and others working at the intersections of media, technology and culture for its Civic Media Fellowship. Apply by March 28.

• Smart Growth America has launched a free technical assistance program for community organizations interested in advancing equitable zoning and land use decisions to help decrease health inequities. Apply by March 31.

• The Rx Foundation has launched a new funding cycle for its Building Capacity for Health Advocacy grants. Submit a letter of interest by March 31.

• Fulbright New Zealand’s Ian Axford Fellowships in Public Policy program is accepting applications to help increase mutual understanding between America and New Zealand. Apply by April 22.

• The Livable Communities Initiative, Arnold Ventures and partners have launched a National Single-Stair Competition. Submit your design by June 30.

• Check out Next City’s jobs board for new opportunities.

EVENTS

• March 18 at 1 p.m. Eastern: The Urban Institute is hosting a discussion on releasing government-sponsored enterprises Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac from conservatorship through administrative action.

• March 20 at 11:30 a.m. Pacific: The UCSF Benioff Homelessness & Housing Initiative is holding a webinar on California’s most comprehensive study of homelessness and the connection between behavioral health and homelessness.

• March 25 at 1 p.m. Eastern: Next City is hosting a conversation between Dr. Maria Rosario Jackson, former NEA Chair, and Jason Schupbach, Dean of the Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts and Design at Drexel University. They’ll discuss how the arts can and should shape urban policy and planning.