A U.S. federal judge has ordered President Donald Trump to suspend the planned mass layoffs of federal workers during the ongoing government shutdown, after the White House announced intentions to dismiss 10,000 employees.
The shutdown, now entering its third week, has paralyzed major government operations as Congress remains gridlocked over spending disputes. President Trump has vowed to drastically cut the federal workforce in response to the standoff.
District Judge Susan Illston issued a temporary restraining order in San Francisco following a lawsuit by labor unions who argued that the planned layoffs were “unlawful” and “extraordinary.” According to the court document obtained by AFP, several employees were unaware they had been terminated because layoff notices were sent to inactive government email accounts inaccessible during the shutdown.
Judge Illston noted that unions had received distress calls from pregnant workers and employees concerned about losing health insurance, but no human resources personnel were available to assist them since they too were furloughed. “Those who have received reduction-in-force notices cannot prepare for their upcoming terminations because the HR staff who would typically assist them are also furloughed,” she said.
Earlier, Trump’s budget chief, Russ Vought, told reporters that layoffs could “end up being north of 10,000,” adding that the administration intended to be “very aggressive in shuttering the bureaucracy.” Court filings revealed that over 4,000 workers had already been dismissed, primarily from the Treasury, Health, Education, and Housing departments, though Vought said more cuts were coming.
Meanwhile, the Senate failed for the ninth time to pass a Republican-backed funding bill approved by the House, leaving an estimated 1.4 million federal employees either working without pay or on enforced unpaid leave.
President Trump has blamed Democrats for the impasse, warning that continued opposition could trigger further layoffs, particularly among workers perceived as sympathetic to the opposition party. However, he has also sought to shield himself from criticism by diverting funds to protect military pay and other politically sensitive sectors.
House Speaker Mike Johnson warned that the nation is “barreling toward one of the longest shutdowns in American history.” Despite the crisis, Johnson has refused to advance a standalone bill to pay military personnel. In response, Trump directed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to use any available funds to ensure 1.3 million service members received their salaries — a move Democrats have labeled illegal but politically difficult to challenge in court.
While the military have been paid, other agencies are struggling. The Capitol Police, responsible for securing Congress, missed their full paycheck for the first time on Tuesday.
According to the Bipartisan Policy Center, about 688,000 federal employees are currently working without pay, 706,000 are furloughed, and 832,000 continue to receive their salaries.
Top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer condemned the administration’s actions, urging an immediate reversal of the layoffs. “The administration should reverse every single firing from last week and stop playing politics with people’s livelihoods,” Schumer said. “They should instead get serious about negotiating with Congress to end this shutdown at once.”
