Judge blocks Trump admin's plan to carry out mass federal layoffs during shutdown

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA: A federal judge in California on Wednesday, October 15, issued a temporary restraining order blocking the Trump administration from carrying out layoffs of federal workers during the ongoing government shutdown.

The ruling follows a lawsuit filed last month by two unions representing federal employees. They argued that the administration’s decision to implement Reductions in Force (RIFs) during the shutdown was “contrary to federal law.”

The suit accused officials of attempting to sidestep established labor protections under the guise of a funding lapse.

Judge issues temporary restraining order after union lawsuit

District Judge Susan Yvonne Illston said that she was “inclined to grant” the unions’ request after observing that the “activities that are being undertaken here are contrary to the laws.”

Using sharp language from the bench, Illston said, “The administration had taken advantage of the lapse in government spending and government functioning to assume that all bets are off, the laws don’t apply to them anymore, and they can impose the structures that they like on the government situation that they don’t like.”

Illston also scheduled a hearing later this month to consider whether to extend the order into a longer-term injunction.

Trump administration defends layoffs as lawful

Assistant Attorney Elizabeth Themins Hedges argued that the unions lacked the standing to sue and that their employment-related harms were “reparable.”

However, the court has sided with the unions’ position for now, citing potential violations of federal labor statutes.

Meanwhile, Russell Vought, director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, revealed that the administration expects to cut more than 10,000 jobs during the shutdown.

During an appearance on 'The Charlie Kirk Show,' Vought said that about 4,000 federal employees had already been laid off, including some positions at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a move partially reversed after public backlash.

When asked whether the number of job cuts could rise, Vought responded, “It could grow higher. I think we’ll probably end up being north of 10,000.”

He added that the layoffs would target what he described as "bloated or unnecessary programs."

President Donald Trump has threatened to permanently cut Democrat run projects and order mass layoffs.

“We could cut projects that they wanted, favorite projects, and then they'd be permanently cut," he said.

He also said that he was actively consulting with Vought to identify programs that could be slashed.