The Trump administration is asking the Supreme Court to halt a ruling ordering the rehiring of thousands of federal workers let go in mass firings across several agencies.

WASHINGTON—The Justice Department asked the Supreme Court on Monday to block a judge’s order requiring it to reinstate more than 16,000 federal employees, as administration officials vow to seek the justices’ intervention in clearing away lower-court rulings that have slowed Trump policies.

The Justice Department asked the Supreme Court to block a March 13 order by San Francisco-based U.S. District Judge William Alsup for six federal agencies to reinstate thousands of probationary - meaning recently hired - employees dismissed as part of Trump's campaign to downsize and reshape the government.