Judge Blocks Trump's Plan for Massive Federal Workforce Cuts

A federal court ruled that directives issued by the Trump administration to lay off thousands of federal employees were beyond the authority of the Office of Management and Budget.

A federal judge in San Francisco has ordered the cancellation of mass layoffs of federal employees initiated by the Trump administration and Elon Musk's cost-cutting plan.
The court ruled that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) lacked the authority to issue directives leading to these layoffs, asserting that hiring and firing decisions rest with individual agencies.
The layoffs, which targeted employees in probationary periods, were criticized by unions and advocacy groups as illegal and one of the most significant employment frauds in U.S. history.
The decision marks another legal setback for Donald Trump since his return to the presidency in January, following blocked efforts on refugee admissions and birthright citizenship.
The layoffs reportedly affected tens of thousands of federal employees, including hundreds of scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, raising concerns about the impact on key governmental functions.