After a judge ordered the Trump administration to rehire thousands of probationary workers who were fired in a dramatic downsizing of the U.S. government, many have been asked to return to work only to be put on administrative leave,

President Donald Trump's administration brought its bid to purge the federal workforce to the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday, challenging a judicial directive to rehire thousands of fired government employees and arguing that the judge overstepped his authority.

The Trump administration has asked the Supreme Court to block a judge’s order requiring the rehiring of 16,000 federal workers fired as part of a downsizing effort.