A federal judge ruled Tuesday that the Trump administration cannot proceed with firing federal employees during the government shutdown, The Associated Press reports. While shutdowns typically result in some workers being furloughed without pay, the administration had planned permanent job cuts; however, the court has blocked the effort, for now.
U.S. District Judge Susan Yvonne Illston from the Northern District of California issued a preliminary injunction that temporarily stops the government from firing federal employees, as a lawsuit over those firings is pending.
Before the injunction, Illston had issued a short-term order on Oct. 15 to prevent the firings, but that order was set to expire on Wednesday. The preliminary injunction extends that protection until the case is fully resolved.
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Unions challenge administration’s actions
Two major labor unions –– the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) –– filed a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s plan to fire federal employees during the shutdown, before the shutdown started on Oct. 1.
In the suit, the unions argue that these federal firings are not legitimate, but rather an abuse of authority intended to punish federal workers and pressure Congress during the government shutdown.
In her Oct. 15 ruling, Illston indicated she believes the evidence will likely show that these mass firings were illegal and went beyond the administration’s authority.
Lee Saunders, the president of AFSCME, supported the judge’s recent ruling, writing on X: “Today’s ruling is another victory for federal workers and our ongoing efforts to protect their jobs from an administration hellbent on illegally firing them.”
Meanwhile, the AFGE national union praised the ruling as a “big win for federal workers!”
In a post on X, the union wrote, “A federal judge just issued a preliminary injunction in our lawsuit, ruling that Trump administration cannot illegally fire federal workers during the government shutdown.”
Context of the shutdown and federal employee cuts
Illston issued the preliminary injunction 28 days into the government shutdown, which currently shows no sign of ending.
Reducing the number of federal employees has been a priority for the Trump administration ever since President Donald Trump’s second term began.
Trump tapped billionaire Elon Musk to run DOGE, also known as the Department of Government Efficiency, and fired tens of thousands of federal workers during his first few months back in the White House.
