US government shutdown: Judge temporarily blocks Trump administration from firing federal workers, says 'it can't be tolerated'

A federal judge on Wednesday temporarily blocked the Trump administration from firing federal workers amid the ongoing government shutdown. The decision came as the shutdown entered its third week.US district judge Susan Illston in San Francisco said the planned job cuts were being carried out without proper consideration. “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."Trump defended the actions, saying, “Programs favoured by Democrats are being targeted and they’re never going to come back, in many cases.”Judge Illston granted a temporary restraining order after labour unions argued that the administration’s layoff notices were illegal and designed to pressure Congress.

The American Federation of Government Employees and other unions sought to block both new layoffs and those already issued, claiming the firings were an abuse of power aimed at punishing workers.The Trump administration had begun issuing notices last week to reduce the size of the federal workforce, affecting more than 4,100 employees across eight agencies. The moves targeted programmes in health, education, and special services while continuing payments to the military and pursuing immigration enforcement.

Democratic lawmakers have insisted that any deal to reopen the government must address health care demands, including extending subsidies introduced in 2021 and reversing Medicaid cuts in Trump’s recent tax and spending bill. Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson said the shutdown could become the longest in US history, adding he “won’t negotiate” until Democrats pause their demands.The administration argued in court that the temporary funding lapse does not eliminate Congress’ authorisation of agency programmes and that the court lacks jurisdiction over federal employment decisions.