A federal Judge on Wednesday temporarily blocked the Trump administration from firing thousands of federal workers during the government shutdown. 

 

U.S. District Judge Susan Illston in San Francisco granted the request by two unions to block layoffs in more than 30 agencies; the Trump Administration is expected to appeal against the restraining order. 

 

The layoffs are “both illegal and in excess of authority and are arbitrary and capricious.” Illston said, referring to the 4,100 layoff notices that started Friday. 

 

The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) called the layoffs an “abuse of power designed to punish workers and pressure Congress,” the Associated Press reported.

 

Illston cited public statements by President Donald Trump and the White House’s budget chief, Russell Vought, as evidence of an explicit political motivation for the layoffs. One reference included Trump saying the cuts would target “Democratic Agencies,” according to the BBC.