The Daily Fuckup

A federal judge in San Francisco on May 9, 2025, put a two-week hold on the Trump administration’s push for large-scale federal workforce reductions. U.S. District Judge Susan Illston granted a temporary restraining order in a case brought by unions, nonprofit groups, and local governments challenging the plan. The order is not a final ruling, but it freezes the challenged steps while the lawsuit continues. ([oag.ca.gov](https://oag.ca.gov/system/files/attachments/press-docs/AFGE%20v.%20Trump%20TRO.pdf))

In her order, Illston said the plaintiffs were likely to succeed on at least some of their claims and that the balance of harms favored a pause. The ruling covers Executive Order 14210, signed on February 11, 2025, and the February 26 memorandum from the Office of Management and Budget and the Office of Personnel Management that directed agencies to prepare reduction-in-force and reorganization plans. ([oag.ca.gov](https://oag.ca.gov/system/files/attachments/press-docs/AFGE%20v.%20Trump%20TRO.pdf))

The court record says the executive order told agency heads to begin preparations for large-scale reductions in force and to prioritize offices and functions not required by statute or law. It also says the OMB-OPM memo told agencies to submit phased reorganization plans, including proposed cuts, relocations, and implementation timelines. ([oag.ca.gov](https://oag.ca.gov/system/files/attachments/press-docs/AFGE%20v.%20Trump%20TRO.pdf))

Illston’s order pointed to sworn declarations describing layoffs and planned cuts at agencies including the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, the Labor Department’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, the Office of Head Start, the Farm Service Agency, and the Social Security Administration. The examples were used to show why plaintiffs argued the government’s move could cause immediate harm before the case is resolved. ([opm.gov](https://www.opm.gov/news/opm-announces-merit-hiring-plan-to-restore-accountability-to-the-federal-workforce.pdf))

The ruling does not decide whether the administration can eventually reshape the federal workforce. It does block the challenged reduction-in-force effort for now, giving the court time to consider whether the plan runs past executive power and into Congress’s turf. ([oag.ca.gov](https://oag.ca.gov/system/files/attachments/press-docs/AFGE%20v.%20Trump%20TRO.pdf))