Federal Judge Halts Trump Administration Layoffs | JQJO

A federal judge issued a temporary restraining order halting widespread federal government layoffs planned by the Trump administration. The order, lasting at least 14 days, prevents agencies from issuing reduction-in-force notices until May 23rd. Judge Susan Illston ruled the administration likely acted unlawfully, lacking constitutional or statutory authority for such large-scale reorganizations without Congressional collaboration. The judge noted that agencies were acting under presidential direction, despite claims otherwise. Affected agencies must submit layoff plans to the court by Tuesday. The ruling impacts numerous agencies and potentially hundreds of thousands of federal employees.