Federal Judge Extends Order Blocking Trump Administration's Job Cuts During Shutdown
A federal judge in San Francisco has extended an order blocking the Trump administration from firing federal employees during the ongoing government shutdown. US District Judge Susan Illston, a Clinton appointee, granted a preliminary injunction that bars the firings until the lawsuit challenging them is resolved.
The move comes after President Donald Trump's administration began slashing jobs in various areas, including education and healthcare, which are favored by Democrats. The layoffs were widely seen as politically motivated and aimed at punishing workers and pressuring Congress into reopening the government.
Illston had previously issued a temporary restraining order against the job cuts, which was set to expire on Wednesday. In her ruling, she stated that she believes the evidence will ultimately show that the mass firings were illegal and exceeded the administration's authority.
The American Federation of Government Employees and other labor unions have sued to stop the layoffs, claiming that they are an abuse of power designed to intimidate workers and pressure Congress into meeting the administration's demands. The lawsuit alleges that the layoffs are politically motivated and aimed at punishing employees who disagree with the administration's policies.
The Trump administration has refused to negotiate with Democrats until they agree to reopen the government. However, Democratic lawmakers have been demanding that any deal include provisions to address expiring health care subsidies and Medicaid cuts.
This is now the second-longest shutdown in US history, with the longest one occurring during Trump's first term over his demands for funds to build a border wall. The current shutdown has lasted for multiple days, leaving thousands of federal employees without pay.
A federal judge in San Francisco has extended an order blocking the Trump administration from firing federal employees during the ongoing government shutdown. US District Judge Susan Illston, a Clinton appointee, granted a preliminary injunction that bars the firings until the lawsuit challenging them is resolved.
The move comes after President Donald Trump's administration began slashing jobs in various areas, including education and healthcare, which are favored by Democrats. The layoffs were widely seen as politically motivated and aimed at punishing workers and pressuring Congress into reopening the government.
Illston had previously issued a temporary restraining order against the job cuts, which was set to expire on Wednesday. In her ruling, she stated that she believes the evidence will ultimately show that the mass firings were illegal and exceeded the administration's authority.
The American Federation of Government Employees and other labor unions have sued to stop the layoffs, claiming that they are an abuse of power designed to intimidate workers and pressure Congress into meeting the administration's demands. The lawsuit alleges that the layoffs are politically motivated and aimed at punishing employees who disagree with the administration's policies.
The Trump administration has refused to negotiate with Democrats until they agree to reopen the government. However, Democratic lawmakers have been demanding that any deal include provisions to address expiring health care subsidies and Medicaid cuts.
This is now the second-longest shutdown in US history, with the longest one occurring during Trump's first term over his demands for funds to build a border wall. The current shutdown has lasted for multiple days, leaving thousands of federal employees without pay.
The fact that Trump is trying to fire people during a shutdown is just so messed up... I mean, who does that? And it's not just the layoffs themselves, but the whole politics behind it. It feels like he's trying to punish workers and pressure Congress into doing what he wants. But honestly, isn't that how politics should work? Everyone negotiating and compromising? 
Anyway, I guess we'll have to wait and see how this all plays out... maybe someone will finally make a move and get things done around here? 
I'm so glad this judge stopped those unfair job cuts 
. It's crazy that the government can just start firing people when they're already struggling to get paid 
. I mean, what's next? Firing teachers and doctors just because Congress can't agree on anything 
? It's like, come on, guys! Can't we all just work together to find a solution 
? This whole shutdown thing is really affecting a lot of people, including families who are having to deal with reduced hours or no pay at all 
. I hope this judge's decision helps things get back on track soon 
. This is so messed up! It's not right that they're being punished like this just because the admin is trying to strong-arm Congress into doing what it wants. I mean, can't we just have a civil conversation about our differences instead of resorting to this kind of gamesmanship? 
The fact that the judge had to step in and block these firings shows just how ridiculous this whole situation is. And let's be real, this shutdown has been going on for way too long... when are we gonna get some real leadership around here?! 
. I'm not saying the judges or Congress can't do their job, but what's up with all these back and forths? It's like they're playing some kinda game of chicken. And yeah, I get it, Trump wants that border wall, but at what cost? Like, we're already struggling to take care of our own people, let alone the ones in need who are gonna suffer from this shutdown 
judge susan illston is literally saving lives over there!!! all those fed employees who lost their jobs cuz of politics are gonna get their jobs back 
and the fact that they can't get paid is just heartbreaking 
i hope congress figures out a way to make this shutdown end soon so everyone can get back to work and life can go back to normal 
It's like something out of a bad 80s movie. And the fact that it's happening right now during another government shutdown is just... ugh. 
This kind of stuff just makes me want to go back in time and watch some old episodes of "The West Wing" and just shake my head. 
And the fact that it's seen as a political move is so whack. Can't they just have a civil conversation instead of playing this power game? 
I'm all for accountability and transparency, but come on... the employees deserve better than to be pawns in this shutdown drama 
and now a judge is all like "hold up fam" & extends the order blocking those layoffs 
. stats show: since jan, there have been 30,000+ layoffs in just one area (education) alone 
but i'm more concerned about those low-income workers hittin the hardest 
. guess we'll just have to keep watchin this saga unfold 
!
It's like they forget that the people who work for them are human beings, not just numbers on a spreadsheet. And now we're seeing thousands of people without pay because of this shutdown. 
. this whole thing is so messed up. I'm glad somebuddy stepped in to stop these layoffs for now, but it's gonna take more than that to fix this mess 
i mean, can you even imagine if they got fired during this shutdown?? it's just too much to handle 
and the fact that judge illston believes the layoffs were illegal and exceeded authority is like, totally mind blown 
and to all those gov't employees who are struggling without pay, you guys rock 
keep on fighting the good fight! 
. The unions and all are suing them for basically abuse of power, which I 100% agree with 
. And can we just talk about how crazy this shutdown is? It's like, what even is the end game here? 
i mean i know what's on your mind with the government shutdown but trust me their cold brew is life changing... anyway back to the shutdown i feel so bad for those federal employees who are getting paid zero right now