US judge halts Trump’s plan to lay off thousands of federal workers as shutdown strains aviation sector

WASHINGTON: A US federal judge in San Francisco on Wednesday (Oct 15) blocked President Donald Trump’s administration from proceeding with mass layoffs of government employees during the ongoing shutdown, offering temporary relief to thousands of federal workers as the 15-day standoff begins to disrupt air travel and safety operations.

US District Judge Susan Illston in San Francisco granted a request by two major unions to halt the layoffs at more than 30 federal agencies while she reviews claims that the dismissals are politically motivated and unlawful.

“The hatchet is falling on the heads of employees all across the nation, and you’re not even prepared to address whether that’s legal,” Illston told a Justice Department lawyer during the hearing. She said public comments by Trump and White House Budget Director Russell Vought, including references to targeting “Democrat agencies,” suggested “explicit political motivations” behind the cuts.

“You can’t do that in a nation of laws,” said Illston, a Clinton appointee.

LAYOFFS AND LEGAL CHALLENGE

The Trump administration has been seeking to downsize the federal workforce during the shutdown, now in its second week, part of the president’s push to “drain the swamp.”

About 4,100 federal workers at eight agencies have already received layoff notices, according to a court filing by the administration, with the White House saying as many as 10,000 employees could lose their jobs if the shutdown continues.

Trump on Wednesday signed an order extending a freeze on new federal hires, except for military personnel and political appointees.

The unions which including the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) and the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), argue that the layoffs violate labor laws, since job cuts are not considered an “essential service” during a funding lapse.

“This is a cruel and unlawful attack on civil servants who keep the government running,” said Skye Perryman, president of the legal group Democracy Forward, which represents the unions.

Illston ordered the administration to provide by Friday a full accounting of planned or ongoing layoffs and steps taken to comply with her injunction.