SAN FRANCISCO — A federal judge in San Francisco has indefinitely barred the Trump administration from firing federal employees during the ongoing government shutdown.

U.S. District Judge Susan Illston granted a preliminary injunction on Tuesday, preventing the administration from moving forward with the planned firings while a lawsuit challenging the layoffs proceeds. This injunction follows a temporary restraining order she previously issued, which was set to expire Wednesday.

Judge Illston, who was nominated by former Democratic President Bill Clinton, expressed her belief that the evidence will ultimately show the mass firings were illegal and exceeded the administration’s authority.

The Republican administration has targeted job cuts in education, health, and other sectors it claims are favored by Democrats. Officials have also announced they will not use approximately $5 billion in contingency funds to maintain benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) into November.

The American Federation of Government Employees, along with other labor unions, filed suit to stop the “reductions in force” layoffs. They argue these firings represent an abuse of power intended to punish workers and pressure Congress.

In response, government lawyers contend that the district court lacks jurisdiction over personnel disputes.

During an October 15 hearing, Judge Illston noted that the layoff notices, which began going out around October 10, appeared politically motivated and poorly planned. Approximately 4,100 layoff notices have been sent, some to work email addresses that furloughed employees are prohibited from accessing. In some cases, personnel were called back to work—without pay—to issue these notices.

Democratic lawmakers are demanding that any agreement to reopen the government address expiring health care subsidies that have helped make insurance more affordable for millions of Americans. Additionally, they seek to reverse Medicaid cuts enacted through Republican tax breaks and spending cuts introduced earlier this summer.

However, Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson has refused to negotiate with Democrats until they agree to reopen the government first.

This shutdown has now become the second-longest in U.S. history. The longest shutdown occurred during President Trump’s first term over his demands for funding to build the U.S.-Mexico border wall and lasted 35 days before ending in 2019.
https://abc7.com/post/judge-extends-order-barring-trump-administration-firing-federal-workers-during-shutdown/18081764/