President Trump, the White House and the Department of Government Efficiency have all exceeded their authorities in requiring agencies to develop and implement layoff plans, U.S. District Judge Susan Illston said. She made her remarks at the outset of a hearing in San Francisco on a lawsuit challenging the reductions in force and one day ahead of the scheduled expiration of a temporary freeze she previously placed on the layoffs.
“I do believe the evidence before the court suggests that plaintiffs will likely succeed on the merits of their claims,” Illston said. “I believe injunctive relief, preliminary at this stage, remains necessary to preserve the status quo and protect the power of the legislative branch.”
She added the evidence strongly suggested that “the recent actions of the executive branch usurp the constitutional powers of Congress.”
Her existing temporary restraining order, which she earlier this month put in place for two weeks, prevented agencies from implementing their Agency RIF and Reorganization Plans. Those plans were required by the Office of Personnel Management and Office of Management and Budget, as well as President Trump’s executive order that precipitated them. It applied to OMB and OPM, as well as the departments of Agriculture Commerce, Energy, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Labor, State, Treasury, Transportation and Veterans Affairs. It also applies to AmeriCorps, the Environmental Protection Agency, the General Services Administration, the National Labor Relations Board, the National Science Foundation, the Small Business Administration and the Social Security Administration.
Illston said eve ..
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