A federal judge in San Francisco has issued an indefinite injunction blocking President Trump’s administration from carrying out layoffs of thousands of federal employees during the ongoing government shutdown. U.S. District Judge Susan Illston ruled in favor of government employee unions seeking to halt what they call illegal and politically motivated job cuts known as reductions in force (RIFs). This ruling extends a previous temporary restraining order that was set to expire, preventing the administration from moving forward with an estimated 4,000 layoffs across nearly 40 federal agencies.
Judge Illston, appointed by former President Bill Clinton, expressed that the evidence suggests these mass layoffs likely exceed the administration’s authority and appear to serve as political retribution. The judge highlighted the human impact of these layoffs, citing testimonies from affected federal workers facing traumatic uncertainty, financial hardship, and even medical emergencies.
The Trump administration has argued that staffing reductions during a government shutdown are legal and justified due to the suspension of funding, asserting that agencies should not be required to maintain certain programs. They claimed that some agencies’ decisions, such as layoffs at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the Interior Department, predated the shutdown and should not be affected by the injunction. However, Judge Illston’s ruling broadly bars further issuance and implementation of RIF notices during the shutdown, signaling strong judicial resistance to the administration’s approach.
Labor unions and advocacy groups praised the ruling as a crucial protection for federal workers, emphasizing the importance of stable government services and condemning attempts to use employees as bargaining chips in political standoffs. The case is part of a larger legal battle over the limits of executive authority and workers’ rights in the context of federal funding crises.
