Legal/Law/Criminal Justice and Reform

Federal Judge Blocks Trump Admin From Firing Federal Workers Amid Shutdown

AFGE/Wikimedia Commons

A federal judge blocked the Trump administration on Tuesday from firing federal workers during the shutdown.

U.S. District Judge Susan Illston, a Clinton appointee in San Francisco, extended her earlier order preventing terminations, which found the directive to consider reductions in force (RIFs) during the shutdown likely “rests on illegal grounds.”

“Today’s ruling is another victory for federal workers and our ongoing efforts to protect their jobs from an administration hellbent on illegally firing them.”American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) President Lee Saunders said in a statement on X.

The White House budget office told agencies to prepare for large-scale layoffs ahead of the shutdown.

The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), along with other labor unions, sued to block “mass firings of federal employees” on Sept. 30.

The White House did not respond to a request for comment from the Daily Caller News Foundation.

Over 4,100 employees have received layoff notices, according to an Oct. 10 government court filing.

“The RIFs have begun,” Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought wrote Oct. 10 on X

CNN: “The nation’s largest public sector union calling for you guys to pass a clean continuing resolution, does that change your position?”

Sen Welch (D-VT): ‘It doesn’t change it, but it’s a real indication of how this is really tough on people…’ pic.twitter.com/gbwYBLnySN

— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) October 28, 2025

The AFGE union called on Senate Democrats to end the shutdown in an open letter on Monday. Democrats again failed to advance legislation to temporarily fund the government on Tuesday, day 28 of the shutdown.

Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin said Tuesday that the caucus was taking concerns of federal workers seriously but indicated Democrats would not end the shutdown until their demands were met.

“The increase in health insurance [premiums], I think is going to be devastating for American families,” Durbin told the Daily Caller News Foundation.