Judge Blocks Trump Administration from Firing Federal Workers
Judge Blocks Trump Administration from Firing Thousands of Federal Workers
A major legal blow has been dealt to the Trump administration after a federal judge ruled against its attempt to lay off thousands of federal workers amid the government shutdown. U.S. District Judge Susan Illston, appointed by President Bill Clinton, issued the temporary order on Wednesday following an afternoon hearing in San Francisco.
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Judge Illston said the administration appeared to be using the shutdown as an excuse to push through politically motivated firings and ignore federal procedures. “It seems as though they’ve taken advantage of the lapse in government spending and government functioning to assume that all bets are off,” Illston said from the bench. “That the laws don’t apply to them anymore and that they can impose the structures that they like.”
The case was brought forward by the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), the nation’s largest union representing federal workers. The AFGE accused the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and its director, Russ Vought, of unlawfully targeting certain agencies and employees — particularly those believed to lean Democratic — for layoffs during the shutdown.
Judge Illston’s ruling prevents the Trump administration from issuing or enforcing any “reduction in force” (RIF) notices for now. It also blocks further action on any RIF notices that have already been sent to employees since October 10, when the administration began implementing the layoffs.
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During the hearing, Justice Department attorneys repeatedly declined to explain the administration’s justification for the move, saying they were not authorized to discuss the legality of the mass layoffs. When pressed by Judge Illston to confirm whether the government believed the firings were lawful, DOJ attorney Elizabeth Hedges simply responded, “Not today, your honor.”
Instead, the DOJ argued that the lawsuit was premature, claiming that many agencies had not yet finalized plans for layoffs and might ultimately choose not to carry them out. Hedges told the court, “Many of them may well decide not to do RIFs at all.”
However, the administration previously told the court that more than 4,000 federal employees had already been laid off or notified of pending termination across several departments — including Commerce, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, Homeland Security, and Treasury.
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The shutdown, now stretching into its third week, shows no immediate signs of resolution. Federal workers across multiple agencies have already been struggling without pay, and the potential for large-scale firings had intensified tensions in Washington.
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Judge Illston’s ruling provides temporary relief for affected workers and their unions, but it doesn’t end the dispute. Another hearing is scheduled for later this month, where the court will determine whether the injunction should be made permanent.
For now, the decision marks a significant win for federal employees — and a sharp rebuke of the administration’s handling of the shutdown. The AFGE hailed the ruling as “a victory for the rule of law and for every public servant who keeps our government running.”
As the shutdown continues, the legal and political battles over how federal employees are treated are likely to deepen — especially as both sides brace for what could become one of the longest shutdowns in U.S. history.
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Judge Blocks Trump Administration from Firing Thousands of Federal Workers was originally published on rickeysmileymorningshow.com
