In a significant legal battle over federal employment, a judge in San Francisco is set to decide whether to extend a temporary ban on the Trump administration’s strategy of mass layoffs during the ongoing government shutdown.
Nearly two weeks ago, U.S. District Judge Susan Illston issued a temporary stay on layoffs for federal employees, affecting members of unions such as the American Federation of Government Employees. These layoffs, known as RIFs (reductions-in-force), have been a point of contention.
The Trump administration has challenged the court’s authority to hear the case, arguing that the unions have not demonstrated the irreparable harm required for such an injunction. Initially, the administration claimed the restraining order did not cover most of the approximately 4,000 employees who had received layoff notices since the shutdown began on October 1. However, Judge Illston later expanded the order to include additional unions.
The administration’s tactics, aiming to swiftly reduce the federal workforce, have sparked significant concern among affected employees. Testimonies submitted in court reflect the distress caused by these measures.
Many employees facing layoffs during the shutdown have previously been targeted by similar actions. Mayra Medrano, a program analyst with the Commerce Department, stated in a court declaration that she had already experienced a RIF notice earlier this year, causing her severe stress and health issues. “The constant threat of being fired, which has persisted for months, has caused me tremendous physical and mental distress,” she wrote.
Attorney Danielle Leonard emphasized the emotional impact on federal workers during an earlier hearing, highlighting comments by Russell Vought, Director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, who reportedly wanted government employees to be “traumatically affected” to discourage them from working. “That’s exactly what they are doing,” Leonard told the court.
Before the restraining order, Vought suggested in an interview with The Charlie Kirk Show that more than 10,000 employees could receive RIF notices during the shutdown.
The layoffs are part of a broader reduction strategy. Office of Personnel Management Director Scott Kupor previously noted that approximately 300,000 federal workers would leave by year’s end, with 80% departing voluntarily. This indicates that about 60,000 faced involuntary separation even before the shutdown began.
Additionally, 154,000 employees accepted the administration’s “Fork in the Road” buyout offer, with many expressing concern about potential firings if they did not take the deal.
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