Federal Judge Indefinitely Blocks Trump’s Latest Layoffs

A federal district court judge indefinitely blocked President Trump’s most recent round of staff cuts Tuesday, saying his actions were likely unlawful and that the plaintiffs had a good case for arguing they were politically motivated.

The order, issued in San Francisco by Judge Susan Illston, built on an existing temporary restraining order. Now, while the remainder of the case is argued in court, the Trump administration will be barred from finalizing any of the estimated 4,000 layoffs that were announced across agencies on Oct. 10.

At the Education Department, nearly 500 employees were laid off. Those cuts spared the Office of Federal Student Aid but essentially gutted the Office of Postsecondary Education and the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services. The agency, which had already taken a major blow back in March, was down to about 2,400 employees before this round of layoffs.

Illston, who was appointed by Bill Clinton, noted at the hearing that she would clarify the ruling in writing later Tuesday. But in essence, she said federal agencies “are enjoined from issuing any more RIF notices,” according to Government Executive.

Members of the American Federation of Government Employees applauded the court’s ruling, saying that it is not only a win for them as staff members but also for the voters and taxpayers who would have been affected by their absence.

“Federal workers and the programs and services we provide should be more than a bargaining chip in the congressional fights over the government shutdown,” said Rachel Gittleman, president of AFGE Local 252, the chapter representing staff from the Department of Education. “This court decision reaffirms what we already know—these latest illegal mass firings … [are] an illegal dismantling of a congressionally created agency that provides critical resources and support services to tens of millions of students and their families across America.”

However, Gittleman was also quick to note that this is just the first step in a long and uphill climb for union members. In March the Department of Education made a similar reduction in force that was also challenged in court. And while the lower courts ruled in favor of the union and other education advocacy groups, the Supreme Court overturned those rulings, allowing the Trump administration to continue laying off staff members. 

“If we’ve learned anything this year, it’s that the fight is just beginning,” she said. “We will continue to do everything in our power to fight back against the continued illegal gutting of the U.S. Department of Education.”