Judge Blocks Trump’s Plan to Lay Off Thousands of Federal Workers During Shutdown

A federal judge has indefinitely halted President Donald Trump’s plan to lay off thousands of federal employees amid the ongoing government shutdown, marking a major setback for the administration.

U.S. District Judge Susan Illston, appointed by former President Bill Clinton, granted an injunction requested by federal employee unions, ruling that the proposed “reductions in force” (RIFs) likely violate labor law and exceed the president’s authority.

The injunction extends Illston’s earlier temporary order and prevents the White House from proceeding with more than 4,000 planned terminations while litigation continues.

Illston said she would issue a written decision but confirmed that the injunction was already in effect.

The White House referred inquiries to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), which has not commented.

The ruling came a day after the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) — the largest federal workers’ union — urged Congress to pass a clean continuing resolution and end the shutdown.

“Both political parties have made their point, and still there is no clear end in sight,” said Everett Kelly, AFGE’s national president.

Despite that appeal, Senate Democrats on Tuesday blocked the House-passed funding bill for the 13th time, keeping the government partially shuttered.

The unions, including AFGE and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), argue that the administration’s plan to permanently fire workers rather than temporarily furlough them — as has traditionally been done with back pay — is unlawful.

Earlier this month, OMB Director Russell Vought said as many as 10,000 federal employees could ultimately lose their jobs if the shutdown continues.

The Justice Department has refused to defend the layoffs in court, contending that agency adjudicators like the Merit Systems Protection Board should handle such disputes.

Union leaders welcomed the ruling as a major victory for federal employees.

“These attempted mass firings would devastate not only the workers but also the communities they serve,” said AFSCME President Lee Saunders.

Skye Perryman, CEO of Democracy Forward, which represents two of the unions, praised the decision as “a major blow to the Trump–Vance administration’s unlawful attempt to implement the Project 2025 playbook by targeting America’s career public servants.”

The court’s decision ensures that federal employees will remain in their positions while the legal case proceeds — underscoring growing tension between the administration’s cost-cutting agenda and the federal workforce it seeks to reshape.