A federal judge on Wednesday temporarily blocked the Trump Administration from firing federal workers during the government shutdown.
US District Judge Susan Illston, a Clinton appointee, issued a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) on Wednesday and stopped the Trump Administration from firing federal workers.
The Schumer Shutdown began on October 1 and the Senate has voted 9 times – and failed 9 times – to reopen the government because Schumer wants to give illegal aliens healthcare.
Layoffs of federal employees officially began last Friday as the U.S. government shutdown entered another tense phase, according to Trump administration budget chief Russell Vought, who confirmed the sweeping reductions in a social media post.
“The RIFs have begun,” Vought announced on X, using the acronym for “Reductions in Force.”
The RIFs have begun.
— Russ Vought (@russvought) October 10, 2025
On Wednesday, Judge Illston issued a TRO because she said the firings appear to be politically motivated.
CBS News reported:
President Trump’s administration for now must stop firing workers during the government shutdown, a federal judge ordered on Wednesday.
U.S. District Judge Susan Illston in San Francisco said the cuts appeared to be politically motivated and were being carried out without much thought.
“It’s very much ready, fire, aim on most of these programs, and it has a human cost,” she said. “It’s a human cost that cannot be tolerated.”
She granted a temporary restraining order blocking the job cuts, saying she believed the evidence would ultimately show the cuts were illegal and in excess of authority.