Special Poll
A federal judge has ruled that the Trump administration can move forward with its plans to significantly reduce the federal workforce, rejecting a request from government employee unions to block the layoffs.
U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper determined that federal law requires the unions to bring their case before the Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA)—the agency responsible for handling labor disputes within the federal government—rather than in a federal district court. This ruling marks another legal victory for the Trump administration, which has been facing multiple lawsuits challenging various executive actions, including efforts to cut government spending and reorganize federal agencies.
In his decision, Cooper, an appointee of former President Obama, acknowledged the widespread impact of Trump’s executive orders. “The first month of President Trump’s second administration has been defined by an onslaught of executive actions that have caused, some say by design, disruption and even chaos in widespread quarters of American society,” he wrote. He noted that many of these orders have been challenged in courts across the country, with mixed results—some being temporarily blocked, while others have been allowed to proceed.
The unions had sought to stop the administration from carrying out mass terminations of probationary employees, implementing additional large-scale layoffs, and offering buyouts to federal workers as part of a workforce reduction plan. A separate lawsuit attempting to block the buyout program had already been dismissed by another federal judge. However, litigation regarding the probationary employee terminations is still ongoing, as a coalition of unions filed yet another lawsuit on Thursday.
Despite legal opposition, the ruling clears a path for the administration to proceed with its workforce reduction strategy, furthering its broader efforts to reshape the federal government.