A federal judge in California on Wednesday ordered President Donald Trump’s administration to halt mass layoffs of federal workers during a partial government shutdown while she considers claims by unions that the job cuts are illegal.
During a hearing in San Francisco, U.S. District Judge Susan Illston granted a request by two unions to block layoffs at more than 30 federal agencies while the case proceeds.
The decision is likely to be appealed quickly, but it offers a reprieve for federal workers facing a nearly year-long push by the Trump administration to slash their ranks.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The White House said last week that it had begun substantial layoffs across the U.S. government, as Trump followed through on a threat to cut the federal workforce during the government shutdown, now in its 15th day. In an order Wednesday, Trump extended an existing freeze on hiring new federal workers, with exceptions for military personnel and appointees to political roles.
About 4,100 workers at eight agencies have been notified that they are being laid off so far, according to a Tuesday court filing by the administration.
Illston’s ruling came shortly after White House Budget Director Russell Vought said on “The Charlie Kirk Show” that more than 10,000 federal workers could lose their jobs because of the shutdown.
Illston at the hearing cited a series of public statements by Trump and Vought that she said showed explicit political motivations for the layoffs, such as Trump saying that cuts would target “Democrat agencies.”
“You can’t do that in a nation of laws. And we have laws here, and the things that are being articulated here are not within the law,” said Illston, an appointee of Democratic former President Bill Clinton.
About 4,100 workers at eight agencies have been notified that they are being laid off so far, according to a Tuesday court filing by the administration.
Illston’s ruling came shortly after White House Budget Director Russell Vought said on “The Charlie Kirk Show” that more than 10,000 federal workers could lose their jobs because of the shutdown.
Illston at the hearing cited a series of public statements by Trump and Vought that she said showed explicit political motivations for the layoffs, such as Trump saying that cuts would target “Democrat agencies.”
“You can’t do that in a nation of laws. And we have laws here, and the things that are being articulated here are not within the law,” said Illston, an appointee of Democratic former President Bill Clinton.
