Washington, DC [US], May 17 (ANI): The Trump administration has filed an emergency appeal with the Supreme Court, seeking to immediately proceed with plans to lay off tens of thousands of federal workers across various agencies, according to Politico.
In its appeal, the administration requested the justices to overturn a lower court ruling that temporarily blocked the layoffs. The request marks the latest effort in the administration’s broader objective to significantly reduce the size of the federal workforce. In April, the Supreme Court had already intervened in favor of the administration by lifting a lower court order that halted the mass termination of probationary employees at six Cabinet departments.
The new appeal pertains to a more extensive group of federal workers slated for termination under a February executive order that calls for “large-scale reductions in force” (RIF). However, US District Judge Susan Illston had previously blocked the layoffs, asserting that the administration failed to meet legal and procedural requirements mandated for mass terminations, particularly regarding employee tenure.
Solicitor General John Sauer argued in the appeal that Judge Illston’s order improperly infringes upon the president’s authority to reorganize the federal workforce. He stated, “The order has brought to a halt numerous in-progress RIFs at more than a dozen federal agencies, compelling the government to retain, at taxpayer expense, thousands of employees whose continuance in federal service is determined by agencies not to be in the government and public interest.”
According to Sauer, the order halted about 40 ongoing RIFs at 17 agencies. The administration argues that the ruling forces the government to retain workers who are no longer deemed essential. However, Illston emphasized that the president requires legislative cooperation for such sweeping workforce changes, as seen when Trump previously urged Congress to support similar efforts during his first term.
The layoffs would impact employees from 21 agencies, including the Departments of Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, Energy, Commerce, Health and Human Services, Interior, Labor, State, Treasury, and Transportation. Other affected entities include the Office of Management and Budget, National Labor Relations Board, National Science Foundation, Social Security Administration, Small Business Administration, and AmeriCorps.
The Trump administration’s push for layoffs has faced strong opposition from major federal workers’ unions, non-profit organizations, and over 20 Democratic-leaning states, which argue that the executive order lacks proper legislative backing and disregards procedural safeguards. The Supreme Court’s decision on the appeal is expected to significantly impact the future of federal employment under the current administration. (ANI)
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