A federal judge has temporarily halted the Trump administration’s plan to carry out thousands of federal layoffs during the ongoing government shutdown, calling the move likely unlawful and politically motivated.
U.S. District Judge Susan Illston issued a temporary restraining order blocking the administration from carrying out more than 4,000 layoffs across more than 30 federal agencies. The decision follows lawsuits filed by several federal employee unions, which argued that the administration was using the shutdown as a pretext to permanently shrink the civil service.
In her ruling, Judge Illston said there was credible evidence suggesting the layoffs targeted agencies perceived as politically opposed to the administration. Public statements by senior officials referring to “Democrat agencies” were cited as supporting that conclusion. The judge also rejected the Justice Department’s argument that unions should instead take their claims to the Federal Labor Relations Authority, stressing that the alleged violations were both urgent and potentially unconstitutional.
The injunction halts the reductions in force, both newly proposed and those already announced, for at least two weeks while the case proceeds. During that period, affected employees will remain on furlough or in active status, depending on their agency’s funding situation.
Labor groups quickly praised the ruling. “This decision reaffirms that no administration can use a shutdown to sidestep the law or punish career public servants,” one union spokesperson said. “Federal employees deserve fairness and due process, not political retribution.”
The administration has defended its actions as part of a broader effort to streamline government operations and reduce costs during the funding lapse. Officials are expected to appeal the temporary injunction in the coming days.
The court’s decision underscores a key legal distinction between shutdown furloughs, temporary suspensions of work caused by funding gaps, and permanent layoffs, which must follow established procedures under federal employment law. Judge Illston noted that even during a lapse in appropriations, the executive branch cannot abandon statutory protections designed to prevent politically motivated firings.
The ruling represents a major setback for the administration’s broader attempt to reshape the federal workforce during the shutdown. Future hearings will determine whether the injunction should be extended or made permanent, but for now, the court’s message was clear: a government shutdown cannot be used as justification for mass, politically targeted federal layoffs.
