Trump administration asks Supreme Court to approve mass layoffs at federal agencies

The Justice Department (DOJ) on Friday asked the Supreme Court to lift a block on the mass firings of federal employees in at least 21 different agencies, amid the Trump administration's efforts to downsize the federal government.

U.S. District Judge Susan Illston, who was appointed by former President Bill Clinton, temporarily blocked the mass firings last week, and requested information from the administration on its efforts as she reviews the case. 

Solicitor General D. John Sauer filed the emergency application to the Supreme Court after a request to the lower 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and determined it would take too long to be approved, according to The Hill. 

Sauer argued Illston overstepped her authority with the blanket hold, which is a common argument from the Trump administration regarding national injunctions. 

“It does all of that based on the extraordinary view that the President lacks authority to direct executive agencies how to exercise their statutory powers to conduct large-scale personnel actions within the Executive Branch,” Sauer wrote. 

The solicitor general noted that the Supreme Court lifted a halt on firings of probationary employees, which was also paused by a San Francisco judge, and said the new request should be similarly fulfilled. 

“It should take the same course here, where the order sweeps far more broadly — to cover most of the federal government — and restrains the Executive from even planning reductions in force pursuant to presidential direction,” he wrote.

The request is the 15th emergency appeal that the Trump administration has filed this year. 

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.