Here are some of the probationary workers in limbo as legal battles over their firings continue

Washington — Probationary workers were among the first victims of President Trump's second-term efforts to downsize the federal government. Mass firings across the federal government targeted thousands of them, but legal challenges over their termination have left them in an uneasy employment limbo after a pair of court rulings that cover employees at 20 agencies.

These are workers who are in their first year or two of federal service, depending on their position, although probationary workers can also include experienced U.S. government employees who recently started working in a new position, including through promotions, or at a different agency.

Sara Nelson, 50, was just two days away from the end of her probationary period, which started after she was hired in February 2024 at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, or SAMHSA. She previously worked at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a different component of the Department of Health and Human Services.