A U.S. federal judge has issued a temporary order blocking President Donald Trump’s directive to carry out mass layoffs of federal employees.
Judge Susan Illston of the U.S. District Court in California issued the two-week restraining order on Friday, arguing that such sweeping reductions likely require approval from Congress.
“The Court holds the President likely must request Congressional cooperation to order the changes he seeks,” Illston wrote in her ruling.
Since his return to office in January, President Trump has pushed for deep cuts across federal agencies. In a February 11 executive order, he called for a major downsizing of the federal workforce, labeling it a “critical transformation of the Federal bureaucracy.” The order instructed agencies to dismiss workers not deemed “essential.”
This plan is being led by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a new agency overseen by Elon Musk.
In response, a coalition of labor unions, advocacy groups, and several local governments filed a lawsuit last week against the Trump administration, DOGE, and several federal agencies including the Office of Management and Budget. They claim the layoffs are illegal without congressional approval.
“The Trump administration’s unlawful attempt to reorganize the federal government has thrown agencies into chaos,” said the coalition, led by the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), in a joint statement.
The administration has already targeted multiple programs, including humanitarian aid (USAID), diversity initiatives, and others. However, courts have stalled or overturned several of Trump’s major policy moves this year, including those on immigration and federal spending.
