Judge temporarily blocks the Trump administration from firing workers during the government shutdown

SAN FRANCISCO -- President Donald Trump's medication for present indispensable halt firing workers during the authorities shutdown, a national justice successful San Francisco ordered connected Wednesday.

U.S. District Judge Susan Illston issued the exigency bid aft national agencies connected Friday started issuing layoff notices aimed astatine reducing the size of the national government. The layoff notices are portion of an effort by Trump's Republican medication to exert much unit connected Democratic lawmakers arsenic the authorities shutdown continues.

Illston said the medication was acting without reasoning done its decisions.

"It's precise overmuch ready, fire, purpose connected astir of these programs, and it has a quality cost," she said. It's a quality outgo that cannot beryllium tolerated."

The Capitol is seen nether grey skies connected the thirteenth time of the authorities shutdown, successful Washington, Monday, Oct. 13, 2025.

AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite

The American Federation of Government Employees and different national labour unions had asked Illston for a impermanent restraining bid blocking the medication from issuing caller layoff notices and implementing those that were already sent out. The unions said the firings were an maltreatment of powerfulness designed to punish workers and unit Congress.

Illston's bid came arsenic the shutdown, which started Oct. 1, entered its 3rd week. Democratic lawmakers are demanding that immoderate woody to reopen the national authorities code their wellness attraction demands. Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson predicted the shutdown whitethorn go the longest successful history, saying helium "won't negotiate" with Democrats until they deed intermission connected those demands and reopen.

The Trump medication has been paying the subject and pursuing its crackdown connected migration portion slashing jobs successful wellness and education, including successful peculiar acquisition and after-school programs. Trump said programs favored by Democrats are being targeted and "they're ne'er going to travel back, successful galore cases."

In a tribunal filing, the medication said it planned to occurrence much than 4,100 employees crossed 8 agencies.

The unions accidental the layoff notices are an amerciable effort astatine governmental unit and retribution and are based connected the mendacious premise that a impermanent backing lapse eliminates Congress' authorization of bureau programs.

The authorities says the territory tribunal lacks jurisdiction to perceive employment decisions made by national agencies.

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Follow the AP's sum of the national authorities shutdown astatine https://apnews.com/hub/government-shutdown.