US court blocks government layoffs, big blow to Trump administration

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): A major and sensational decision has emerged from the United States. San Francisco federal judge Susan Illston has temporarily blocked the Trump administration from laying off thousands of federal employees during the government shutdown.

The order comes in response to a lawsuit filed by labor unions claiming the layoffs were illegal and violated workers' rights. The court's decision comes as the White House announced plans to eliminate at least 10,000 employees amid the shutdown.

During the hearing, Judge Illston said it appears the White House's Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and Office of Personnel Management (OPM) are taking advantage of the shutdown to ignore the laws. He said, "The government appears to believe that no rules apply during a shutdown."

"We'll likely be laying off over 10,000 employees. We want to be very aggressive in winding down the bureaucracy," White House OMB chief Russ Vought said in an interview. President Donald Trump has already warned that if Democrats don't support a proposal to fund the government by the end of November, he will launch mass layoffs — particularly targeting employees perceived as Democratic supporters.

In the US, the shutdown has already left millions of government employees working without pay or at home. Now, the announcement of potential layoffs has further exacerbated the situation. Politically, the conflict between the Trump administration and the Democrats has further exacerbated the crisis.