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A federal judge has issued a two-week pause on the Trump administration’s mass layoffs across the federal government, ruling that the effort to fire of thousands of workers and entirely eliminate some agencies cannot proceed for now.
The plaintiffs behind the lawsuit, which include nonprofits, labor unions and multiple cities and counties, argued that the president does not have the power to “radically restructure and dismantle the federal government” without congressional authorization.
In a late-Friday order, Judge Susan Illston of the Northern District of California agreed. She instituted a 14-day pause on “reductions in force” until May 23.
“The President has the authority to seek changes to executive branch agencies, but he must do so in lawful ways and, in the case of large-scale reorganizations, with the cooperation of the legislative branch,” she wrote, pointing out that Trump had urged Congress to pass legislation to approve such broad changes in his first term.
Illston, a Bill Clinton appointee, wrote that no statute authorizes the Office of Personnel Management, the Office of Management and Budget or Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency to carry out mass terminations or restructuring.
“Such action is far outside the bounds of any authority that Congress vested in OPM or OMB, and, as noted, DOGE has no statutory authority whatsoever,” she wrote.
The White House did not immediately respond to NBC News’ request for comment.
The Trump administration has sought to dramatically restructure the federal government, largely through Musk’s DOGE. A flurry of lawsuits that challenge those cuts is making its way through the courts, but Friday’s order in this particular case is likely the most significant — if temporary — setback for the administration so far.