A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to halt the dismissal of employees amid the ongoing government shutdown. This decision was made on Wednesday, following concerns about the manner in which the layoffs were being conducted.
Judge Susan Illston of the U.S. District Court in San Francisco commented that the layoffs seemed to be driven by political motives, lacking careful consideration. “The approach appears to be hasty and ill-considered, impacting people’s lives significantly,” she expressed. “This human cost is simply unacceptable.”
In response to the situation, Judge Illston issued a temporary restraining order to pause the layoffs. She indicated that the evidence likely supports the view that these dismissals are both illegal and beyond the administration’s authority.
This judicial intervention follows a move by federal agencies last Friday, when they began distributing layoff notices as part of a broader strategy by the Trump administration to scale back the federal workforce. This tactic is seen as a means to intensify pressure on Democratic legislators during the shutdown. Russell Vought, who leads the White House Office of Management and Budget, mentioned earlier that day that the layoffs could potentially affect over 10,000 employees.
The American Federation of Government Employees, along with other federal worker unions, sought the court’s intervention to prevent further issuance of layoff notices and to halt the execution of those already distributed. They argue that these actions are an abuse of power, intended as a punitive measure against workers and as leverage against Congress.
The American Federation of Government Employees and other federal labor unions had asked Illston to block the administration from issuing new layoff notices and implementing those that were already sent out. The unions said the firings were an abuse of power designed to punish workers and pressure Congress.
Illston’s order came as the shutdown, which started Oct. 1, entered its third week. Democratic lawmakers are demanding that any deal to reopen the federal government address their health care demands. Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson predicted the shutdown may become the longest in history, saying he “won’t negotiate” with Democrats until they hit pause on those demands and reopen.
Democrats have demanded that health care subsidies, first put in place in 2021 and extended a year later, be extended again. They also want any government funding bill to reverse the Medicaid cuts in Mr. Trump’s tax break and spending cut bill passed this summer.
The Trump administration has been paying the military and pursuing its crackdown on immigration while slashing jobs in health and education, including in special education and after-school programs. Mr. Trump said programs favored by Democrats are being targeted and “they’re never going to come back, in many cases.”
In a court filing, the administration initially said it planned to fire more than 4,100 employees across eight agencies, but Vought said that number was a “snapshot” that was likely to grow.
The unions said the layoff notices are an illegal attempt at political pressure and retribution and are based on the false premise that a temporary funding lapse eliminates Congress’ authorization of agency programs.
The government said the district court lacks jurisdiction to hear employment decisions made by federal agencies.
