A U.S. federal judge has ruled that the Trump administration can proceed with its large-scale firings of federal employees, rejecting an attempt by labor unions to halt the downsizing of the nation’s 2.3 million-strong federal workforce.
On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper in Washington, D.C., declined to block President Donald Trump’s executive actions aimed at reducing government staff. The unions had sought an injunction, arguing that the mass firings were unlawful and circumvented Congress’s authority.
Judge Cooper acknowledged the widespread disruption caused by the administration’s actions but stated that he likely lacks the power to decide on the legality of the firings. Instead, he suggested that the unions should present their grievances to the Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA), the agency responsible for resolving disputes between federal agencies and employee unions.
The judge wrote, “Federal district judges are duty-bound to decide legal issues based on even-handed application of law and precedent—no matter the identity of the litigants or, regrettably at times, the consequences of their rulings for average people.”
The decision is a significant victory for the Trump administration as it seeks to streamline the federal government and cut spending it deems unnecessary. The White House and the U.S. Department of Justice have not yet commented on the ruling.
Doreen Greenwald, president of the National Treasury Employees Union, called the ruling a temporary setback. “There is no doubt that the administration’s actions are an illegal end-run around Congress, which has the sole power to create and oversee federal agencies and their important missions,” she said in a statement. The union plans to continue its legal challenge.
The lawsuit, filed by the treasury union and four others, aims to prevent eight federal agencies from firing thousands of employees and offering buyouts to those who choose to leave voluntarily. The agencies include the Departments of Defense, Health and Human Services, Veterans Affairs, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
This ruling marks another obstacle for labor unions attempting to use the courts to oppose the Trump administration’s extensive efforts to reduce the size of the federal bureaucracy. Previously, judges have dismissed similar cases, stating that unions lacked legal standing because they couldn’t demonstrate direct harm from the policies.
