A United States judge has stopped President Donald Trump’s plan to sack thousands of federal workers, at least for now.
Judge Susan Illston of the US District Court in California gave a two-week order on Friday, saying that Trump’s decision to cut jobs may need Congress approval first.
“The Court holds the President likely must request Congressional cooperation to order the changes he seeks,” Judge Illston wrote in her ruling. “So, the court issues a temporary restraining order to pause large-scale reductions in force.”
Since returning to office in January 2025, President Trump has asked government agencies to reduce their staff. His goal is to shrink the size of government, and he put Elon Musk in charge of this task through the Department of Government Efficiency.
In February, Trump signed an executive order calling for a major reform of the federal workforce. He asked all agencies to remove staff who are not considered essential.
But many are fighting back. A group of labour unions, non-profit groups, and local governments took the matter to court. They argue that Trump and DOGE went too far by making such big changes without asking Congress.
“The Trump administration’s unlawful attempt to reorganise the federal government has thrown agencies into chaos,” the group said in a statement. It was led by the American Federation of Government Employees.
“Each of us represents communities deeply invested in the efficiency of the federal government — laying off federal employees and reorganising government functions haphazardly does not achieve that,” they added.
Since January, Trump has already started cutting government programs, including aid from USAID, and ending diversity programs in several departments. But many of his plans have faced legal blocks, including on immigration and government spending.
The case will return to court after two weeks, where a decision on whether the layoffs can go ahead may be made.
