From the Associated Press: A federal judge in San Francisco on Tuesday indefinitely barred the Trump administration from firing federal employees during the government shutdown, saying that labor unions were likely to prevail on their claims that the cuts were arbitrary and politically motivated.
U.S. District Judge Susan Illston granted a preliminary injunction that bars the firings while a lawsuit challenging them plays out. She had previously issued a temporary restraining order against the job cuts that was set to expire Wednesday.
Illston, who was nominated by Democratic President Bill Clinton, has said she believes the evidence will ultimately show the mass firings were illegal and in excess of authority.
Federal agencies are enjoined from issuing layoff notices or acting on notices issued since the government shut down Oct. 1. Illston said that her order does not apply to notices sent before the shutdown.
Many labor unions, including the American Federation of Government Employees, have filed lawsuits to stop the “reductions in force” layoffs, claiming the firings were an abuse of power.
ABOUT THIS JUDGE: Susan Illston, born in 1948, is a senior United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California. She was nominated by then-president Bill Clinton in January 1995 and confirmed by the Senate in May 1995 by a voice vote. She assumed senior status in 2013.
Unreal! A Clinton-appointed judge from San Francisco, Judge Susan Illston has declared herself more powerful than the POTUS, ruling the Trump administration is indefinitely barred from firing federal employees during the Democrat government shutdown. pic.twitter.com/bPNAlH0IBs
— The Conservative Read (@theconread) October 28, 2025
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