Judge temporarily blocks layoffs by Trump Administration amid extended government shutdown

A federal judge in San Francisco on Wednesday (October 15) has temporarily blocked the Trump administration from firing federal workers during the ongoing government shutdown, marking a setback for the White House’s efforts to reduce the size of government amid a standoff.

US District Judge Susan Illston issued the emergency order after several federal agencies began issuing layoff notices last week as part of a broader plan to downsize the government.

The Trump administration had argued that the cuts were necessary to manage spending during the shutdown, which began on October 1 and is now in its third week.

“It’s very much ready, fire, aim on most of these programs, and it has a human cost,” Judge Illston said in court. “It’s a human cost that cannot be tolerated.”

The American Federation of Government Employees and other labor unions filed for an emergency restraining order, accusing the administration of using the layoffs as a political weapon to pressure Democrats into concessions.

Unions call firings ‘abuse of power’

Union leaders said the firings were “an abuse of power” intended to punish federal employees and manipulate the ongoing budget negotiations. The administration had planned to dismiss more than 4,100 workers across eight agencies, including in health and education departments.

The Trump administration defended its actions, arguing that the court lacked jurisdiction over employment decisions made during a shutdown and that the layoffs were consistent with its authority to manage federal operations.

Shutdown enters third week

The shutdown, which began after lawmakers failed to agree on a spending plan, has intensified partisan divisions in Washington. Democrats are demanding that any deal to reopen the government include funding for health care programs, while Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson has said he “won’t negotiate” until Democrats drop those demands.

President Trump said earlier this week that the shutdown allows his administration to eliminate “Democrat programs” that he opposes, adding that “they’re never going to come back, in many cases.”

Social Security delay adds to disruption

The shutdown’s impact is spreading to federal services, including a delay in the announcement of the annual Social Security cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for millions of retirees. The release, originally scheduled for Wednesday, will now occur on October 24 after the September Consumer Price Index is published.