A federal judge in the United States has signalled she will block the Trump administration from proceeding with hundreds of planned layoffs of government workers, delivering a significant legal blow to the president's efforts to shrink the federal workforce.
Judge Illston's Ruling Against Federal Layoffs
During a hearing in San Francisco on Wednesday, US District Judge Susan Illston stated that extensive job cuts at four federal agencies likely violate a law Congress passed last month to conclude a 43-day partial government shutdown. The judge, an appointee of former Democratic President Bill Clinton, indicated she would issue a formal written order later that day.
Judge Illston specifically said she would prevent the US State Department and the US Department of Education from laying off approximately 250 and 150 employees respectively. These suspensions are pending the outcome of a lawsuit brought by unions representing federal workers.
Reinstatement for Workers and Government Appeal
Furthermore, Illston stated her intention to order the State Department, the Defense Department, the General Services Administration, and the Small Business Administration to reinstate roughly 300 individuals who lost their positions during the shutdown period. Recognising the potential for an appeal, the judge said she would likely pause all or part of her ruling until the following week to give the government time to challenge the decision.
In her comments, Illston highlighted the severe disruption caused to employees, noting the "chaotic nature" of the process had led to lost opportunities and healthcare coverage. She expressed a desire to avoid worsening the "whiplash" for federal staff, some of whom have faced multiple rounds of layoffs and reinstatements this year.
Legal Battle and Union Response
The legal conflict centres on the interpretation of the continuing resolution that ended the shutdown. This law prohibits agencies from implementing layoffs through 30 January. The Trump administration has argued the ban does not apply to job cuts announced before the shutdown began on 1 October.
Judge Illston rejected this argument, siding with the American Federation of Government Employees and other unions. The lawsuit, originally filed in October, sought to block over 4,000 proposed layoffs at several agencies. Unions involved praised the judge's latest decision.
"No one should be surprised when President Trump breaks his word, but to directly contradict a law he just signed himself is an unfortunate reminder that we cannot trust a single thing this president and his administration says or does," said Skye Perryman, president of Democracy Forward, the legal group representing the unions. The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the ruling.
