Trump Seeks Supreme Court Approval to Resume Federal Workforce Downsizing Amid Nationwide Legal Challenges

President Donald Trump's administration has requested the Supreme Court to allow the resumption of its efforts to downsize the federal workforce, challenging a lower court's temporary restraining order that paused these mass firings. The restraining order, issued by U.S. District Judge Susan Illston, questioned the legality of the administration's actions and was prompted by a lawsuit filed by various plaintiffs, including major cities and labor unions. The Trump administration, represented by Solicitor General D. John Sauer, is also seeking to halt nationwide injunctions that block several of its policies, aiming to limit the reach of court rulings by breaking cases into individual disputes. Legal experts characterize this strategy as an attempt to make it more difficult to challenge the administration's policies in court, noting that presidents from both major parties have opposed nationwide injunctions. Trump's workforce reduction efforts, supported in part by the Department of Government Efficiency, have faced setbacks due to the essential nature of some federal jobs, such as those at the National Nuclear Safety Administration. The Supreme Court's decision on these matters could significantly impact the administration's ability to implement broad policy changes nationwide.