President Donald Trump during an executive order signing in the Oval Office of the White House on Monday, March 31, 2025. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
"The Supreme Court has repeatedly told the courts of appeals to follow extant Supreme Court precedent unless and until that Court itself changes it or overturns it," judges noted in their opinion.
Monday's ruling from the full panel means that both Wilcox and Harris can return to their positions, at least for now. It is likely to spark intense backlash from the Trump administration, which has lobbed accusations of so-called "activist judges" that have slowed or halted some of Trump's executive orders and actions.
Also on Monday, the appeals court rejected the Trump administration's request for an administrative stay, which would have allowed their removals to remain in place while the challenge continued to play out in federal court.
In this photo illustration, National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) logo is seen on a smartphone, and the United States flag on a PC screen. (Photo Illustration by Pavlo Gonchar/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Since taking office, Trump has signed more than 300 executive orders and actions, including sweeping personnel moves, the restructuring of federal agencies, and the creation of the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE – a temporary agency that has drawn scrutiny for its broad oversight powers and access to sensitive government data.
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Critics argue that the flurry of early executive actions warrants an additional level of legal scrutiny, and judges have raced to review a crushing wave of cases and lawsuits filed by terminated employees or brought on behalf of agency employees.
The Trump administration has appealed its early losses to the Supreme Court – a strategy it appears poised to continue in the NLRB and MSPB terminations.
Breanne Deppisch is a national politics reporter for Fox News Digital covering the Trump administration, with a focus on the Justice Department, FBI, and other national news.
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https://www.foxnews.com/politics/federal-appeals-court-blocks-trump-firings-wilcox-harris-nlrb-mspb