A federal appeals court has ruled that former President Donald Trump’s sweeping directive to initiate mass layoffs across multiple federal agencies will remain on hold, delivering a significant blow to efforts aimed at drastically shrinking the size of the U.S. government.
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, in a 2-1 decision issued Friday, denied the Trump administration’s request to lift a lower court’s injunction that halted the terminations. The court found that the executive order “far exceeds the President’s supervisory powers under the Constitution” and upheld U.S. District Judge Susan Illston’s earlier ruling that the mass layoffs, known as reductions in force (RIFs), required congressional authorization.
Judge William Fletcher, writing for the majority and joined by Judge Lucy Koh, emphasized that any major government restructuring of this scale must be approved by Congress. “The kind of reorganization contemplated by the Order has long been subject to Congressional approval,” Fletcher wrote.
The case was initiated by a coalition of federal employee unions, local governments, and advocacy groups. They challenged Trump’s February executive order, which instructed more than a dozen federal agencies, including the Departments of Defense, Justice, Homeland Security, and Treasury, to submit aggressive downsizing plans. The plaintiffs argued that agencies’ more moderate proposals were overruled by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), thus making the process unlawful.
The appellate court also questioned the role of the Department of Government Efficiency in enforcing the terminations, further complicating the administration’s justification for the moves.
In a statement, the coalition welcomed the decision: “We are gratified by the court’s decision today to allow the pause of these harmful actions to endure while our case proceeds.”
However, the Trump administration signaled it is not backing down. “A single judge is attempting to unconstitutionally seize the power of hiring and firing from the Executive Branch,” said White House spokesman Harrison Fields. “The President has the authority to exercise the power of the entire executive branch.”
Judge Consuelo María Callahan, dissenting, argued that the President has the right to direct agencies to use their statutory authority to conduct RIFs.
While the administration had previously sought intervention from the Supreme Court without success, legal experts expect the dispute could eventually reach the high court again.
For now, the fate of Trump’s proposed federal government overhaul remains uncertain, pending further legal proceedings.
Written By Rodney Mbua
