A federal judge on Tuesday indefinitely barred the Trump administration from firing federal workers during the ongoing shutdown. The judge issued a preliminary injunction that stops fresh reduction-in-force actions and stops notifications given since October 1 from being carried out while the unions’ lawsuit is still going on.
U.S. District Judge Susan Illston’s order extends a temporary restraining order that was set to expire Wednesday. Illston said unions are likely to prevail on claims the planned cuts were arbitrary, politically motivated, and in excess of authority. The injunction does not cover notices sent before the shutdown, Associated Press reported.
Labor groups said the ruling prevents agencies from using the shutdown to carry out mass terminations. The American Federation of Government Employees said the case—filed with AFSCME and later expanded to include NFFE, NAGE, SEIU, NTEU, AFT, and IFPTE—covers every Cabinet department and 24 independent agencies that include bargaining units from plaintiff unions.
AFGE National President Everett Kelley called the decision “another victory for federal workers,” while AFSCME’s Lee Saunders said the attempted firings would have “devastated” services the public relies on, the union statement said.
The administration has argued the cuts target programs it says are favored by Democrats and has declined to tap about $5 billion in contingency funds to keep SNAP benefits flowing into November, AP reported.
Illston’s preliminary injunction keeps the workforce status quo in place while the court weighs the merits of the unions’ challenge. Further appeals are possible as the shutdown enters its fourth week.
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