A federal judge has temporarily blocked the Trump administration’s effort to carry out a sweeping overhaul of federal agencies that included plans to lay off tens of thousands of government workers.
The move comes after a coalition of unions, non-profits, and local governments filed suit challenging the administration’s authority to proceed without Congressional approval.
Under what theory of the constitution does a single marxist judge in San Francisco have the same executive power as the Commander-in-Chief elected by the whole nation to lead the executive branch?
No such theory exists. It is merely naked judicial tyranny.
— Stephen Miller (@StephenM) March 20, 2025
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U.S. District Judge Susan Illston issued a 14-day temporary restraining order on Friday, halting the administration’s layoff plans while the case proceeds.
The ruling marks the most expansive legal rebuke to date against President Trump’s government restructuring initiative, which has been spearheaded by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) under the guidance of Elon Musk.
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“The President has the authority to seek changes to executive branch agencies, but he must do so in lawful ways and, in the case of large-scale reorganizations, with the cooperation of the legislative branch,” Judge Illston stated in her order.
“Many presidents have sought this cooperation before; many iterations of Congress have provided it.”
The Trump administration had instructed federal agencies in February to collaborate with DOGE to identify areas for workforce reduction as part of a broader plan to streamline government functions.
These plans included eliminating duplicate positions, trimming management layers, automating repetitive tasks, closing regional field offices, and cutting reliance on third-party contractors.
The lawsuit, filed April 28, argues that the administration’s reorganization campaign lacks the necessary Congressional backing.
Plaintiffs say the abrupt restructuring has already disrupted essential public services and placed federal agencies in disarray.
“Each of us represents communities deeply invested in the efficiency of the federal government – laying off federal employees and reorganizing government functions haphazardly does not achieve that,” the plaintiffs said in a joint statement.
Judge Illston agreed that the plaintiffs could face significant harm without court intervention.
“The Court here is not considering the potential loss of income of one individual employee, but the widespread termination of salaries and benefits for individuals, families, and communities,” she wrote.
The judge also signaled that the plaintiffs are likely to prevail on some of their claims.
In addition to alleging that President Trump exceeded his constitutional authority, the plaintiffs argue that DOGE, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) violated federal administrative law by advancing the layoff initiative without proper legislative oversight.
“Nothing prevents the President from requesting this cooperation—as he did in his prior term of office,” Illston added.
“Indeed, the Court holds the President likely must request Congressional cooperation to order the changes he seeks, and thus issues a temporary restraining order to pause large-scale reductions in force in the meantime.”
Viceroy Mike Davis @mrddmia on the latest San Francisco judge’s overreach: “Take Trump Derangement out of the picture. This is JUDICIAL SABOTAGE of our DEMOCRACY that these Democrats are pretending that they protect.”#WarRoom pic.twitter.com/6XqNuLhsKJ
— MAGA Kitty (@SaveUSAKitty) May 10, 2025
The next hearing in the case is scheduled for May 22, when the court will consider whether to extend the pause with a preliminary injunction.
In the meantime, the judge’s order halts all planned agency layoffs and restructuring actions associated with the Trump administration’s DOGE initiative.
Fox News Digital reported that it had reached out to the White House for comment, though no official response was available at the time of publication.
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