A federal judge has temporarily halted President Donald Trump’s sweeping plan to lay off thousands of government workers, issuing a 14-day injunction following legal action filed by labor groups and local governments.
The administration’s proposal, aimed at downsizing multiple federal departments as part of a broader restructuring effort, faced immediate backlash from critics who argue it bypasses congressional authority and violates employment protections for civil servants.
The pause affects several key agencies, including Health and Human Services, Labor, Energy, and the Social Security Administration, where preliminary layoff notices had already begun disrupting daily operations.
The White House defended the layoffs as a necessary move to eliminate redundancy and boost operational efficiency, but the court underscored that such major policy shifts must follow due legal process and be subject to legislative oversight.
A full hearing is scheduled for May 22, where the court will determine whether to extend or lift the temporary order. For now, thousands of federal employees remain in limbo as the legal battle plays out.