Politics USA
Federal Judge Questions State Departments Compliance with Court Order on Mass Layoffs
A federal judge in California has indicated that the U.S. State Department’s planned layoffs may violate a recent court order. U.S. District Judge Susan Illston expressed concern that the State Department is disregarding her May 22 ruling, which broadly blocked government-wide mass layoffs. Illston temporarily halted plans by about 20 agencies, including the State Department, to downsize and restructure at the direction of the Trump administration. Despite this, the State Department informed Congress last week of its intention to notify approximately 2,000 employees of impending layoffs and to reorganize or eliminate over 300 bureaus and offices. Illston ordered both parties to submit briefs on the matter and scheduled a hearing by June 13. In her May ruling, Illston stated that the White House cannot order the restructuring of federal agencies without congressional authorization. The Trump administration has appealed this decision to the U.S. Supreme Court.