Appeals court keeps block on Trump administration's downsizing of the federal workforce
Source: AP
Updated 10:22 PM EDT, May 30, 2025
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — An appeals court on Friday refused to freeze a California-based judge’s order halting the Trump administration from downsizing the federal workforce, which means that the Department of Government Efficiency-led cuts remain on pause for now.
A split three-judge panel of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals found that the downsizing could have significant ripple effects on everything from the nation’s food-safety system to veteran health care, and should stay on hold while a lawsuit plays out.
The judge who dissented, however, said President Donald Trump likely does have the legal authority to downsize the executive branch and there is a separate process for workers to appeal. The Republican administration had sought an emergency stay of an injunction issued by U.S. Judge Susan Illston of San Francisco in a lawsuit brought by labor unions and cities, including San Francisco and Chicago, and the group Democracy Forward.
The Justice Department has also previously appealed her ruling to the Supreme Court, one of a string of emergency appeals arguing federal judges had overstepped their authority.
Read more: https://apnews.com/article/trump-mass-firings-doge-lawsuit-4d2d9be4dcefa1c76876fb9b1860c3c7