A U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., issued a temporary injunction blocking President Donald Trump’s executive order to lay off 50,000 federal employees, citing potential violations of civil service protections.
The order, signed on April 15, 2025, aimed to reduce federal spending by $10 billion annually, targeting agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Education, with 20% of cuts planned for administrative roles. The American Federation of Government Employees, representing 750,000 workers, filed the lawsuit, arguing the layoffs breached the 1978 Civil Service Reform Act, which requires merit-based employment.
The court’s ruling, delivered by Judge Tanya Chutkan, mandates a 60-day review to assess the order’s legality, noting that 65% of targeted employees are career civil servants, not political appointees. Trump’s plan, part of his “America First” agenda, sought to streamline a 2.1 million-strong federal workforce, which consumes 15% of the $6.5 trillion budget. Critics, including 80% of polled federal unions, argue the layoffs would disrupt services, with 30% of EPA staff facing cuts amid 2024’s 1.5°C global temperature rise. Supporters claim inefficiencies cost taxpayers $100 billion yearly.
The injunction preserves jobs for 50,000 workers, 40% of whom are in D.C., pending a final ruling expected by July 2025. The case has sparked debate over executive power, with 55% of Americans in 2024 Pew surveys favoring smaller government, but 70% opposing abrupt cuts. Trump’s team plans an appeal, citing 10% bureaucratic overlap identified in 2023 audits. The ruling delays related plans to privatize 15% of federal functions, affecting 200,000 contractors, and underscores tensions between fiscal reform and worker protections in a $27 trillion economy.