Federal Appeals Court Blocks Trump Administration Mass Layoffs

The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has refused to pause a lower court ruling that blocks the Trump administration from implementing mass layoffs and restructuring across more than a dozen federal agencies. U.S. District Judge Susan Illston had previously ruled that such sweeping workforce reductions require congressional approval, siding with unions, nonprofits, and municipalities that challenged the administration's February executive order. This decision halts President Trump's efforts to significantly reduce the federal workforce and shutter multiple agencies, maintaining the pause on layoffs since early May. The administration is expected to seek relief from the U.S. Supreme Court as the appeals process could take months. Plaintiffs have praised the ruling as a protection against unlawful disruption of federal operations, while the White House has not yet commented publicly. The court's decision marks a significant setback for the administration's push to overhaul the federal government without legislative consent.