The US Supreme Court on Tuesday handed President Donald Trump yet another victory – this time in his effort to restructure the federal work force and fire tens of thousands of employees.
The court, in a ruling that was not signed and did not reveal a vote count, lifted a lower court injunction that had initially blocked the US administration’s plans while legal proceedings in lower courts are underway.
This means that the workers can be fired while the lower court proceedings are ongoing – and should the workers win, they would presumably have to be hired back.
The Supreme Court did not address the merits of the case – only whether the injunction is legal.
In May, a federal court in California had opposed Trump’s layoff plans, stating that, like was the case with previous US presidents, he would likely need congressional approval for the staff reductions.
Months earlier, the White House-affiliated Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), then led by tech billionaire Elon Musk, had pushed forward the restructuring of the state apparatus, including mass layoffs.
According to earlier reports, tens of thousands of people could be affected. It remains unclear how many have already been dismissed. Trump aims to drastically reduce government spending through the staff cuts.