Former U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration has officially requested the Supreme Court to allow it to continue with its controversial plan to reduce the federal workforce. This move comes in response to a temporary injunction issued last week by a federal judge in San Francisco, which halted Trump’s efforts to downsize what he deems an “overburdened and expensive” federal government.
The legal challenge centers around a February executive order signed by Trump, followed by a memorandum issued by the Department of Government Efficiency (DODGE) and the Office of Personnel Management. These directives instructed multiple federal agencies to begin implementing staff reductions.
However, Judge Susan Illston ordered several federal departments to immediately cease enforcement of those directives, arguing that the President may have overstepped constitutional bounds. Her order is set to expire next week unless extended.
In response, a Trump administration official filed an emergency appeal to the Supreme Court, urging it to suspend Judge Illston’s order and accusing her of exceeding her judicial authority. Simultaneously, the administration has also appealed to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, though no ruling has been issued there yet.
The injunction currently affects a broad range of federal agencies, including the Departments of Agriculture, Energy, Labor, Interior, State, Treasury, and Veterans Affairs. It also includes the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Social Security Administration, the National Science Foundation, and the Small Business Administration.
The scale of the layoffs is significant. While exact figures remain unconfirmed, at least 75,000 federal employees have either been furloughed or dismissed as a result of the initiative.
This legal dispute adds to a growing list of emergency cases the Trump administration has brought before the Supreme Court in its second term, marking another sharp front in his drive to reshape the U.S. federal system.
