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| The Trump administration is now expected to pursue relief before the Supreme Court. |
Appeals Court Keeps Block on Trump’s Layoff Plan in Place, Setting Up Likely Supreme Court Showdown
A federal appeals court has left in place a nationwide injunction blocking the Trump administration’s plan to implement sweeping layoffs across dozens of major federal agencies. In a 2-1 decision, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the administration’s emergency request to lift the pause, signaling that the case is likely headed to the Supreme Court.
The ruling allows the lower court’s injunction to remain in effect indefinitely, halting most agency reorganizations and reductions in force (RIFs). The panel's majority, led by Judge William Fletcher, found that the plaintiffs—including unions, municipalities, and advocacy groups—are likely to succeed on the merits and face irreparable harm without continued relief. Fletcher criticized the administration’s lack of justification for the cuts, calling the rationale “general and undifferentiated.”
The Trump administration argued it faced harm by having to continue paying employees it intended to terminate, but the court found this unpersuasive. It also ruled that federal administrative bodies cited by the government, such as the Merit Systems Protection Board, lack jurisdiction over the constitutional and statutory claims raised.
In dissent, Judge Consuelo Callahan argued that the president has broad authority to manage the executive branch, including agency workforce levels.
The injunction currently covers layoffs across more than 20 federal departments and agencies, including the Departments of Agriculture, Veterans Affairs, State, and Energy, as well as independent agencies like the EPA, Peace Corps, and Social Security Administration.
The administration is now expected to again seek emergency relief from the Supreme Court.
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