A federal judge has just thrown a wrench into the Trump administration’s plan.
The plan was to lay off thousands of government workers during the ongoing shutdown.
Unions say it is a politically driven downsizing spree.
US District Judge Susan Illston sided with two major unions, temporarily blocking layoffs across more than 30 federal agencies.
Her reasoning? The administration, she said, was using the shutdown as an excuse to push through mass cuts it couldn’t legally justify.
Illston even pointed to public remarks by President Trump and budget chief Russell Vought.
These included Trump’s comment that layoffs would target “Democrat agencies” as proof of political motivation.
Jobs Hang In Balance
The ruling halts what had already become one of the most controversial shutdown moves yet.
Treasury and Health and Human Services had begun sending out pink slips, with over 4,000 federal employees at risk.
“Layoffs aren’t an essential service,” argued the American Federation of Government Employees and AFL-CIO, who filed the lawsuit.
The Justice Department plans to appeal, insisting the unions should’ve taken their case to a labor board first.
Meanwhile, Washington remains gridlocked — the Senate has failed nine times to reopen the government.
So, the question lingers: is this a cost-cutting measure or a political purge dressed up as fiscal discipline?
Either way, thousands of jobs hang in the balance.
