Trump's sharp cuts on federal agencies temporarily suspended by U.S. judges
A federal judge ruled that U.S. President Donald Trump's administration must temporarily halt its comprehensive government overhaul because Congress has not authorized it to carry out large-scale personnel layoffs and institutional restructuring.
U.S. District Judge Susan Illston, San Francisco, joined a group of unions, nonprofits and local governments on Friday and blocked a 14-day mass layoff called “effective reduction.”
“As history has shown, the president can only roughly reorganize federal agencies when it is mandated by Congress,” Ayerston said.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The ruling is the broadest ruling against the government's overhaul, led by Elon Musk, the world's wealthiest man, who is also the CEO of electric vehicle maker Tesla.
Dozens of lawsuits have challenged the work of government efficiency departments or tickets, including various reasons for violating privacy laws and exceeding their powers, with different results.
The plaintiff said the agency was in chaos.
Trump instructed government agencies in February to work with Doge to determine targets for mass layoffs, as part of the government's restructuring plan.
Trump urges agencies to eliminate duplicate roles, unnecessary management and non-critical work, while automating routine tasks, closing regional field offices and reducing use of external contractors.
“The Trump administration's illegal attempts to reorganize the federal government have put institutions in chaos, undermining critical services provided by the entire country,” a statement from the Coalition of Plaintiffs said.
“Each of us represents a community that invests deeply in federal government efficiency – layoffs of federal employees and arbitrarily reorganizing government functions have not achieved that.”
Over the weekend, U.S. federal workers submitted five bullets to justify their work in the past week or on the achievement of termination. The initiative led by Elon Musk and his team at the Department of Administration Efficiency (DOGE) has Republican support, Democratic opposition and warnings, and warns of future legal challenges.
Illston plans to hold a hearing on May 22 to consider a longer preliminary ban.
She said the plaintiff could succeed in some of the merits of claims in the lawsuit filed on April 28 and accused Trump of being beyond his powers. It also alleges that the Office of Management and Budget, the Office of Personnel Management and Personnel have exceeded their authority and violated administrative law.
Ayerston said the plaintiff could suffer irreparable harm without the interim restraining order, which she said retained the status quo.
Ayerston said the plaintiff submitted more than 1,000 pages of evidence and 62 sworn in, and she highlighted some of the materials.
For example, she said the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health and its Pittsburgh office looked at the health hazards faced by miners, and 221 of the 222 workers in the department terminated the union. She cited similar examples at her local Head Start office, which supports early learning, farm services and the Social Security Agency.
“The court here is not considering potential loss of income for a single employee, but rather taking into account the widespread termination of salaries and benefits for individuals, families and communities,” Ayerston wrote in the ruling.
