Supreme Court lets Trump move forward with mass layoffs

The Supreme Court on Tuesday issued a stay on a lower court ruling that blocked some of the Trump administration's mass layoffs, determining that the government was likely to succeed in its arguments.

The case addresses whether large-scale staffing cuts across the administration that two federal agencies ordered to comply with a directive from President Donald Trump were lawful.

"The District Court’s injunction was based on its view that Executive Order No. 14210, 90 Fed. Reg. 9669 (2025), and a joint memorandum from the Office of Management and Budget and Office of Personnel Management implementing that Executive Order are unlawful," wrote Associate Justice Elena Kagan. "Because the Government is likely to succeed on its argument that the Executive Order and Memorandum are lawful—and because the other factors bearing on whether to grant a stay are satisfied—we grant the application." 

The Ninth Circuit has yet to address the matter on the merits and the Supreme Court noted that the stay would expire should the appellate court decline to issue a writ of certiori.

Associate Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented.