Judge declares Trump's use of Alien Enemies Act 'unlawful'
Share this @internewscast.com

President Donald Trump takes part in a gathering with the Fraternal Order of Police at the White House’s State Dining Room on Thursday, June 5, 2025, in Washington (AP Photo/Alex Brandon).

A federal judge in California has temporarily blocked the Trump administration from enforcing an executive order seeking to strip more than 1 million federal employees of their collective bargaining rights.

U.S. District Judge James Donato on Tuesday issued a preliminary injunction barring the administration from enforcing the order that would exclude “an unprecedented number” of the federal workforce from labor law codified by Congress more than 60 years ago, reasoning that the measure was retaliatory in nature and exceeded the scope of the president”s authority.

In the underlying lawsuit, a coalition of unions led by the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) challenged Trump’s March 27, executive order, which excluded more than 40 cabinet departments, agencies, and subdivisions across the federal government from labor law protections under an exemption requiring the employees at those agencies have a “primary function” in “intelligence, counterintelligence, investigative, or national security work.”

As the court noted, agencies determined to have national security and intelligence as a “primary function” included the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, the Office of the Chief Information Officer of the Social Security Administration, and many others.

“President Trump applied the national security label to an unprecedented swath of federal agencies, including whole cabinet departments for the first time in history,” Donato wrote in the 29-page order. “The scope of this classification greatly exceeded any prior executive order.”

Love true crime? Sign up for our newsletter, The Law&Crime Docket, to get the latest real-life crime stories delivered right to your inbox.

The plaintiffs claimed Trump’s order was little more than a thinly-veiled effort to drastically shrink the federal workforce by making it easier to conduct mass firings. The complaint also asserted that the measure amounted to little more than political retribution over a series of lawsuits brought by unions associated with the plaintiffs challenging various Trump administration policies.

“Plaintiffs have raised serious questions under the First Amendment that warrant further litigation,” the order states. “Plaintiffs have also demonstrated a strong likelihood of irreparable harm from the loss of their collective bargaining and allied rights under the FSLMRS [Federal Service-Labor Management Relations Statute], that the balance of hardships tips sharply in their favor, and that an injunction would be in the public interest. Consequently, enforcement of the Executive Order against plaintiffs is enjoined to preserve the status quo until trial.”

Notably, a “fact sheet” published along with the executive order called out “hostile federal unions” that describe themselves as “fighting back” against the administration, claiming they had “declared war on President Trump’s agenda.” While supporting “constructive partnerships” with federal unions that backed him, the president explicitly stated that his administration “will not tolerate” groups opposing its policy initiatives.

In the order, Donato said that the White House’s fact sheet “expressed a clear point of view” that was unquestionably “hostile to federal labor unions and their First Amendment activities.”

“The Fact Sheet called out federal unions for vocal opposition to President Trump’s agenda,” the judge wrote. “It condemned unions who criticized the President and expressed support only for unions who toed the line. It mandated the dissolution of long-standing collective bargaining rights and other workplace protections for federal unions deemed oppositional to the President. All of this is solid evidence of a tie between the exercise of First Amendment rights and a government sanction.”

The plaintiffs, according to the court, succeeded in raising “a serious question” as to whether Trump’s executive order exclusions were made in “retaliation for protected speech.”

Donato, a Barack Obama appointee, wrote that he was not “second-guessing” Trump’s national security determinations, as the president is “owed deference on such matters,” but emphasized that a claim of national security “does not, of course, automatically negate the Constitution, particularly with respect to the First Amendment.”

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like

Tragic Pool Incident: Mississippi Mother Faces Charges After Young Sons Drown

In a tragic incident in Mississippi, a woman is now facing drug-related…

Jack Smith Debunks Phone Tapping Conspiracy: A Clear Rebuttal in Detailed Letter

Left: President Joe Biden speaks from the Roosevelt Room of the White…

Swift Legal Triumph: States Secure Immediate Success in National Guard Deployment Dispute

President Donald Trump speaks before a lunch with Ukraine”s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy…

Police Report: Man Arrested for Posing Children with Gun, Alcohol, and Marijuana in Photos

Cops in Florida arrested Taylor Knoop after he allegedly staged photos of…

DOJ’s Decision Pending: Evaluating the Approval of Trump’s Potential $230 Million Settlement

Then-candidate Donald Trump speaks with members of the media as attorney Todd…

Husband Charged in Tragic Murder of Young Mother of Two

A man from New York state is facing serious charges following the…

Maternal Grandmother of Missing California Girl, Melodee Buzzard, Shares Her Perspective as Search Efforts Intensify

In a heartfelt plea, Lori Miranda, the grandmother of 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard,…

Tragic Turn: Husband Allegedly Shoots Wife and Disposes Body Miles from Home

Share A man from New York has been apprehended and faces murder…

Grandfather Accused of Assault After Alleging Victim’s Poison Plot

Left: Mastin Raines (Johnson County Sheriff”s Office). Right: William Gustin (Dickey Funeral…

Police Report: Mother Accused of Strangling Her 6-Year-Old Child in Sudden Outburst

Inset: Justine Mroz (Pasco County Sheriff’s Office). Background: The house where Mroz…

Disgraced MP Stripped of Seat and Freedom After Embezzling $435k in Public Funds

A former member of parliament, now disgraced, has been sentenced to a…

Individual Discovered Concealed in Stormwater Drain While Evading Arrest in NSW

A man sought for alleged domestic violence offenses was apprehended after hiding…