Trump Action Archive

Supporting reports

• Judge Susan Illston grants temporary restraining order blocking Trump's mass layoffs during government shutdown — On Wednesday (October 15, 2025), Judge Susan Illston of the US District Court's Northern District of California granted a temporary restraining order blocking Trump's latest mass layoffs from the government shutdown. The order represents a significant legal victory for unions battling the administration's workforce reduction efforts.
• Federal court rules Trump's federal worker layoffs during shutdown illegal — A federal court in San Francisco ruled that Trump's layoffs of federal workers during the government shutdown were illegal. The ruling represented a judicial check on executive action during the shutdown.
• Federal judge temporarily blocked firing of federal employees during shutdown — A federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration from firing federal employees during the government shutdown, saying the move appeared to be politically motivated and adding, "It's a human cost that cannot be tolerated."
• Federal judge issues temporary injunction blocking federal worker layoffs — A federal judge on October 16, 2025, issued a temporary injunction blocking the Trump administration's layoffs of more than 4,000 federal workers. The injunction halted the firings, though the administration signaled that additional cuts were planned and that the current layoffs represented only a partial reduction in the workforce.
• Judge Illston grants temporary injunction blocking Trump administration federal employee firings during shutdown — Federal Judge Susan Illston of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California issued a temporary restraining order blocking the Trump administration's mass firings of federal employees during the government shutdown. The ruling came in response to a lawsuit filed by labor unions (AFGE and AFSCME) alleging that the Office of Management and Budget and Office of Personnel Management violated law by threatening and executing reductions in force during the shutdown. Judge Illston found evidence that OMB and OPM "took advantage of the lapse in government spending" and acted "arbitrarily and capriciously" in excess of authority.
• Trump administration lays off 4,000 federal workers; federal judge issues temporary injunction — The Trump administration laid off more than 4,000 federal government workers during the shutdown. On October 16, 2025, a federal judge issued a temporary injunction blocking the firings. The Office of Management and Budget director, Russ Vought, stated that the 4,000 layoffs were merely a "snapshot" and that the total number could exceed 10,000. The administration indicated further cuts were expected.

Supporting reports

• Trump administration begins new round of federal employee layoffs during shutdown — The Trump administration began a new round of federal employee layoffs to pressure Democrats to end the government shutdown. Trump told reporters they were laying off "people that the Democrats want." Legal analysts stated such layoffs are illegal. Labor unions sued preemptively to prevent the layoffs after Office of Management and Budget director Russell Vought threatened to use the shutdown to slash more of the government.
• White House orders layoffs of 4,000+ federal workers during shutdown — On October 10, 2025 (the 10th day of the shutdown), Russ Vought, director of the Office of Management and Budget, carried out threatened layoffs of more than 4,000 federal workers across multiple agencies. The budget office stated the funding situation was "fluid and rapidly evolving." Democrats condemned the action as deliberate harm to workers who "protect our country, inspect our food, respond when disasters strike." Legal challenges are expected.

Supporting reports

• DHS reassigned hundreds of national security specialists — Bloomberg reported that the DHS reassigned hundreds of national security specialists, including cyber personnel, to work on efforts related to the Trump administration's immigration crackdown. Employees who refuse their mandatory reassignment could lose their jobs.
• Nearly one-quarter of FBI agents reassigned to immigration enforcement — The Washington Post reported that nearly one out of every four FBI agents has been reassigned from their duties to work on immigration enforcement, which includes upward of 40% of the country's largest field offices staff, according to FBI data obtained by Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.).
• Trump administration redirects 45% of FBI agents in major field offices to immigration enforcement — The Trump administration has reassigned approximately 45% of FBI agents in the country's 25 largest field offices to support Department of Homeland Security immigration enforcement operations, according to personnel data obtained by Senator Mark Warner. Across all FBI offices, 23% of roughly 13,000 total agents are now working on immigration matters, diverted from counterterrorism, cybercrime, drug trafficking, espionage, violent crime, and counterintelligence work. The redirection has raised concerns among former agents and experts about national security gaps and potential for abuse during immigration raids.

Supporting reports

• White House OMB argues furloughed federal workers not entitled to back pay under GEFTA — The White House Office of Management and Budget issued a draft memo arguing that the Government Employee Fair Treatment Act (GEFTA) of 2019 does not automatically guarantee back pay to furloughed federal workers during the ongoing government shutdown. OMB General Counsel Mark Paoletta stated that Congress must include express appropriations language for back pay in legislation ending the shutdown. The OMB previously removed references to GEFTA from shutdown guidance. An estimated 750,000 federal workers have been furloughed as of the shutdown's seventh day.
• White House OMB memo argues federal workers not entitled to back pay — On Tuesday, the White House Office of Management and Budget released a memo contending that federal workers are not entitled to back pay during the shutdown, contradicting a 2019 law that mandates such compensation. House Speaker Mike Johnson subsequently stated at a press conference that he believes federal employees should receive back pay, citing statutory law. The memo represents an attempt to reduce pressure on Republicans to end the shutdown quickly.
• White House threatens federal workforce layoffs during shutdown — White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced that if the shutdown continued, the Trump administration would lay off federal employees, despite federal law entitling them to back pay. She also warned that a food assistance program for low-income mothers and children would exhaust its funding. Director of OMB Russ Vought had already cancelled funding for energy and transportation projects in Democratic-governed states.
• Administration announces continuation of illegal cuts during government shutdown — On October 1, 2025, as the government shutdown began, Office of Management and Budget director Russell Vought announced plans to use the shutdown to implement $26 billion in cuts to infrastructure and climate projects in Democratic-led states, as well as to lay off federal employees instead of furloughing them. This action is part of a broader strategy to impose significant cuts to government programs.
• OMB floats denial of back pay guarantee for furloughed federal workers — The Office of Management and Budget issued a memo suggesting that federal workers furloughed during a government shutdown are not guaranteed back pay when the shutdown ends, departing from the administration's own guidance issued the previous month. This reverses the 2019 law that President Trump himself signed to guarantee such pay. Administration officials told media outlets the memo is intended to give Republicans leverage in shutdown negotiations with Democrats. OMB director Russell Vought had previously threatened mass firings if Democrats refused the Republican continuing resolution.
• Trump suggested not all furloughed employees deserve back pay — Speaking to reporters alongside Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Trump suggested that not all furloughed federal employees should receive back pay following the government shutdown. He noted, "It depends on who we're talking about," and added, "We're going to take care of our people. There are some people that really don't deserve to be taken care of, and we'll take care of them in a different way."
• OMB revised guidance removing back pay guarantee — Government Executive reported that the Office of Management and Budget quietly revised a guidance document last week to remove references to a law passed during Trump's first term, guaranteeing all federal workers back pay following a government shutdown.
• Trump signals furloughed federal workers may not receive back pay — During a White House event, President Trump stated that some furloughed federal workers may not receive customary back pay when the government reopens, saying "there are some people that don't deserve to be taken care of" and that back pay "depends on who we're talking about." This breaks with historical precedent and creates uncertainty for unpaid workers already under financial strain.

Supporting reports

• Federal agencies issue partisan shutdown blame statements in apparent Hatch Act violation — Multiple federal agencies (VA, HUD, HHS, Interior, Commerce, Labor, NLRB, National Archives, Patent Office, FTC) issued emails and public statements on September 30 blaming Democrats and the "radical left" for an impending government shutdown. The statements used identical or similar language across agencies and included partisan characterizations. Legal experts characterized the coordinated messaging as violating the Hatch Act, which restricts political activities by federal employees, and potentially violating federal law on lobbying with taxpayer funds.
• HUD website displays partisan shutdown message blaming "radical left" — The Department of Housing and Urban Development posted a large red banner on its homepage blaming the "radical left" for the looming government shutdown and stating the Trump administration wants to keep government open. The message appeared after Republican and Democratic leaders failed to reach a spending agreement by the Tuesday night deadline. HUD spokesperson Matthew Maley defended the banner as reporting on shutdown impacts, while critics characterized it as inappropriate partisan propaganda on a public agency website.
• Veterans Affairs spokesperson issues partisan shutdown statement — A Department of Veterans Affairs spokesperson issued a statement on Tuesday using charged political rhetoric, blaming "radical liberals in Congress" for attempting to shut down the government to achieve "open borders" and other partisan characterizations, while warning of impacts to veterans care and assistance programs.
• White House violated Hatch Act by using federal agencies to blame Democrats for shutdown — During the government shutdown crisis on September 30, the White House violated the Hatch Act—which prohibits use of government resources for partisan gain—by directing federal agencies to send emails to employees blaming Democrats for the shutdown. Agencies including the Social Security Administration, Small Business Administration, Department of Health and Human Services, and Department of Commerce sent emails stating Trump "opposes a government shutdown" but Democrats were "blocking this Continuing Resolution… due to unrelated policy demands." The Department of Housing and Urban Development posted a banner calling the "Radical Left" responsible for the shutdown. The Department of Veterans Affairs issued a statement blaming "Radical liberals in Congress" for attempting to shut down the government.
• HUD posted banner blaming "radical left" for shutdown — The Department of Housing and Urban Development posted a bright red banner on its website on September 30 blaming the "radical left" for the impending government shutdown. The banner read, "The Radical Left are going to shut down the government and inflict massive pain on the American people unless they get their $1.5 trillion wish list of demands. The Trump administration wants to keep the government open for the American people." The non-profit consumer advocacy group Public Citizen subsequently filed a complaint with the US Office of Special Counsel, calling the banner a "blatant violation" of the Hatch Act.
• White House threatens federal worker layoffs during government shutdown — The Trump administration warned that federal worker layoffs are imminent if the government shutdown continues. Vice President Vance stated the administration would "lay some people off" and take "extraordinary steps" to maintain essential services. Approximately 750,000 federal employees face furlough with pay withheld, while essential workers such as military and border agents may be forced to work without pay. OMB Director Russ Vought announced the White House is also pausing or canceling infrastructure and clean energy funding to Democratic-leaning states.
• Department of Education employees' email accounts manipulated with partisan talking points — NBC News reported that Department of Education employees who were furloughed discovered their email out-of-office messages had been altered to include partisan talking points blaming Democrats for the government shutdown. Five civil servants provided copies of their manipulated messages, which had been rewritten in the first person without their consent. Employees stated the alterations violated the Hatch Act, which prohibits federal employees from engaging in partisan political activity.
• Federal agencies deploy partisan messaging blaming Democrats for shutdown, potentially violating Hatch Act — Multiple federal agencies, including Treasury, Agriculture, Education, and at least a dozen others, have used official websites and employee out-of-office messages to blame Democrats for the government shutdown. The Department of Education altered employees' automated replies without their knowledge or approval. Legal experts and watchdog groups argue this constitutes a violation of the Hatch Act, which prohibits federal employees from engaging in partisan political activity. Public Citizen and the Democracy Defenders Fund have filed complaints with the GAO and Special Counsel's office.
• Department of Education changed furloughed employees' out-of-office messages to blame Democrats — During the government shutdown, the Department of Education changed automated out-of-office email replies for furloughed employees from generic messages to ones blaming Democrats for the shutdown. When employees changed the messages back to neutral language, the Department changed them again to blame Democrats. This represents use of government communications infrastructure to advance partisan messaging during a shutdown.
• Trump administration threatens mass firings of federal employees during shutdown — On Thursday morning, the Trump administration threatened to fire many employees at federal agencies across the nation, creating fear and uncertainty among furloughed workers. Some employees printed out furlough notices and pay stubs in preparation for potential unemployment. The threat occurred amid the ongoing government shutdown and the administration's use of the crisis to pursue policy goals, including cutting climate funding and freezing construction projects.
• Federal agencies post partisan messages blaming Democrats for shutdown operations curtailment — Several federal government departments posted partisan and potentially illegal messages stating that their operations were curtailed due to "the Radical Left Democrat shutdown." Sources at the Education Department reported that out-of-office email messages were changed without staff permission to use rhetoric blaming Democrats for the shutdown. The action represents an apparent coordinated effort to use government communications infrastructure for partisan messaging during the funding lapse.
• White House issues fact sheet attributing government shutdown economic impacts to Democratic opposition to funding restrictions on healthcare for undocumented immigrants — The White House published a fact sheet on October 3, 2025, presenting state-by-state economic projections attributed to a government shutdown. The document claims the Council of Economic Advisers warns of $15 billion in weekly GDP losses, projects 43,000+ additional unemployed Americans over a month-long shutdown, and lists estimated impacts on WIC recipients, SNAP beneficiaries, consumer spending, and gross state product by state. The fact sheet frames the shutdown as caused by Democratic demands to fund healthcare for undocumented immigrants.

Supporting reports

• Trump signed Executive Order 14343 excluding additional federal agencies from labor-management relations protections. — President Trump signed Executive Order 14343 on August 28, 2025, further amending Executive Order 12171 to exclude additional federal agencies and subdivisions from Chapter 71 of title 5, United States Code (the Federal Labor-Management Relations Statute). The order determines that the Bureau of Reclamation hydropower units, International Trade Administration, Patent and Trademark Office, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration subdivisions (National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service and National Weather Service), National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and United States Agency for Global Media have primary national security functions and cannot be subject to federal labor-management relations requirements. The order also extended the deadline for Defense and Veterans Affairs exclusion orders issued under Executive Order 14251.
• Trump issues executive order expanding exclusions from federal labor-management relations protections — President Trump issued Executive Order "Further Exclusions From the Federal Labor-Management Relations Program" on August 28, 2025, amending Executive Order 12171 to exclude additional federal agencies and subdivisions from Chapter 71 labor protections. The order designates units in the Bureau of Reclamation (hydropower facilities), the International Trade Administration, Patent and Trademark Office, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration subdivisions, NASA, and the U.S. Agency for Global Media as having primary national security functions, thereby removing collective bargaining rights protections. The order also extends a deadline for Defense and Veterans Affairs secretaries to issue related orders by 15 days.
• Trump signed executive order excluding additional federal agencies from labor-management relations protections — President Trump signed an executive order on August 28, 2025, further amending Executive Order 12171 to exclude additional federal agencies and subdivisions from Chapter 71 of title 5, United States Code (the Federal Labor-Management Relations Statute). The order designates units in the Bureau of Reclamation managing hydropower facilities, subdivisions of the Department of Commerce (International Trade Administration, Patent and Trademark Office, and specified NOAA divisions), NASA, and the United States Agency for Global Media as having primary national security functions and therefore exempt from federal labor-management relations requirements. The order also extends a deadline for Defense and Veterans Affairs orders under a prior March 2025 exclusion order.
• White House issues fact sheet on executive order exempting national security agencies from federal collective bargaining — The White House published a fact sheet on August 28, 2025, describing an executive order signed by President Trump that exempts six federal agencies with national security missions from collective bargaining requirements under the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978. The agencies named are: Bureau of Reclamation (hydropower facilities), NASA, NOAA (National Weather Service and NESDIS), Patent and Trademark Office, and U.S. Agency for Global Media. The fact sheet states the order aims to enable these agencies to implement policies swiftly without delays caused by union bargaining procedures.

Supporting reports

• VA terminates collective bargaining agreements with unions representing health workers — The Department of Veterans Affairs terminated labor agreements with unions representing most of its health workers, citing a March executive order from President Trump that sought to eliminate collective bargaining rights on "national security" grounds. The termination eliminates the VA's obligation to respond to worker reports of unsafe working conditions and voids contract language requiring professional training for nurses and rules governing temporary reassignment based on qualifications. Unions representing 320,000 VA workers stated the agency was retaliating against workers for speaking up for patients and said they would challenge the action in court.

Supporting reports

• DOJ extends Bill Essayli's term as interim U.S. attorney for Los Angeles — The DOJ extended the tenure of Bill Essayli as temporary U.S. attorney for Los Angeles. Essayli, a former assistant U.S. attorney and twice-elected Republican California assemblyman, has used his position to carry out Trump's mass deportations and the president's response to protests and civil unrest in the Los Angeles area. He has charged labor leaders and pursued cases aligned with Trump's political agenda despite warnings of insufficient evidence.
• DOJ extends John Sarcone's term as interim U.S. attorney for Northern District of New York — John Sarcone III's term as interim U.S. attorney for the Northern District of New York was set to expire in July 2025 after federal judges declined to permanently appoint him. Days after judges rejected him, the DOJ redesignated his title and named him as a special attorney, extending his tenure. Sarcone, a former Trump campaign attorney with no prior prosecutorial experience, had used his four-month interim role to publicly denounce Albany Police Department leadership, feud with local journalists, and criticize former President Biden's immigration policies. He also publicly confirmed a DOJ probe into New York Attorney General Letitia James, one of Trump's foremost political adversaries.
• DOJ extends Sigal Chattah's term as interim U.S. attorney for Nevada — The DOJ extended the tenure of Sigal Chattah as temporary U.S. attorney for Nevada before courts could weigh in on her permanent appointment. Hundreds of federal and state judges had asked courts to reject Chattah's permanent appointment based on her long history of racially charged and violence-tinged statements against political opponents and elected officials. Chattah, a former Republican National Committee member, has shown partisan bias while in her temporary role, targeting Nevada's Democratic U.S. senators Catherine Cortez-Masto and Jacky Rosen.

Supporting reports

• Trump fired commissioner of labor statistics for announcing job growth slowdown — President Trump fired the commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics on Friday after the agency released a jobs report showing dramatic slowdown in job growth. The firing occurred after the commissioner announced official economic data that contradicted Trump's claims about the strength of the economy. Trump had alleged the commissioner rigged the numbers to make him look bad, a claim former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers and other economists rejected as implausible given the statistical procedures involved.
• Trump administration fires BLS commissioner Erika McEntarfer over disputed job statistics — The Trump administration fired Erika McEntarfer, commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, following the release of July employment data showing only 73,000 jobs added—far below expectations—and downward revisions of 285,000 jobs for prior months. White House officials defended the dismissal on Sunday political shows, with Trade Representative Jamieson Greer stating the president had concerns about data reliability. Former BLS Commissioner William Beach warned the firing would undermine confidence in U.S. economic data, while economist Larry Summers compared it to authoritarian tactics.
• White House issues fact sheet attacking BLS credibility and former Biden-appointed commissioner — The White House published a fact sheet titled "BLS Has Lengthy History of Inaccuracies, Incompetence" on August 1, 2025, attacking the Bureau of Labor Statistics and its former Commissioner Erika McEntarfer. The document compiles allegations of overstated jobs numbers, technical errors, and data leaks, citing news reports and congressional correspondence. It asserts that BLS revisions totaling over 800,000 jobs influenced Federal Reserve policy and that financial firms received advance access to sensitive employment data. The fact sheet frames these claims as evidence of institutional failure eroding public trust.
• July jobs report shows 73,000 jobs added; May and June figures revised downward by 258,000 combined — The Bureau of Labor Statistics released the July employment report showing only 73,000 jobs added, well below estimates. Prior months were revised sharply lower: June fell from 147,000 to a lower figure, and May was revised down by 125,000, for a combined downward revision of 258,000 jobs. The unemployment rate rose to 4.2%. Health care and social assistance accounted for approximately 94% of job growth, with most other sectors showing weakness or contraction.
• Trump fired Bureau of Labor Statistics Commissioner Erika McEntarfer — President Trump dismissed Dr. Erika McEntarfer, commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, after the agency released a jobs report showing only 73,000 new jobs added in July—far below the 115,000 economists predicted—and revealing that May and June job figures had been significantly overestimated (May revised down 87% from 144,000 to 19,000; June revised down 90% from 147,000 to 14,000). Trump claimed on Truth Social that the report was "RIGGED" to make Republicans and himself "look bad," despite U.S. economic statistics being widely regarded as a nonpartisan gold standard. McEntarfer had served in various roles under multiple administrations.
• Trump claims jobs report was rigged and announces firing of Labor Statistics Commissioner — Trump posted on social media that the jobs report was "rigged" to make Republicans look bad. He then announced he was firing Dr. Erika McEntarfer, the Commissioner of Labor Statistics, whom he identified as a Biden appointee, and stated he would replace her with someone "much more competent and qualified." Trump directed his team to remove her "immediately."

Supporting reports

• Supreme Court ruled Trump can proceed with federal workforce reduction — The Supreme Court ruled that Trump can proceed with his plan to reduce the federal workforce through mass layoffs. In her dissent, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson panned the ruling, writing, "This was the wrong decision at the wrong moment, especially given what little this Court knows about what is actually happening on the ground."
• US Supreme Court lifts stay on Trump federal workforce reductions — The US Supreme Court issued an unsigned order on Tuesday lifting a lower court freeze on Trump administration "reductions in force" (mass federal layoffs). The decision reversed San Francisco District Judge Susan Illston's 22 May ruling that had blocked agencies from carrying out mass layoffs and ordered reinstatement of fired workers. The Court found Trump's executive order and implementing memorandum "likely to succeed" on lawfulness grounds. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented, warning the decision would result in hundreds of thousands of job losses across agriculture, commerce, health, state, treasury, veterans affairs, and other agencies.
• Preliminary injunction ruling — American Federation Of Government Employees, AFL-CIO v. Trump (N.D. Cal.) 3:25-cv-03698 — In an 8-1 decision, the Supreme Court stayed a preliminary injunction which had blocked the administration from implementing widespread Reduction in Forces (RIFs) and agency reorganizations across 22 agencies. The majority noted that the Executive Order 14210 and related memorandum are likely to be lawful, and found the district court had based its injunction on those directives rather than individual agency plans. They declined to opine as to whether any specific RIFs or reorganization plans may be lawful. Justice Sotomayor concurred to emphasize that the lower court may still review individual agency plans on a case-by-case basis. Justice Jackson dissented.
• Supreme Court stays preliminary injunction in case challenging Trump's executive order — On July 8, 2025, the Supreme Court granted a stay on a preliminary injunction that had been issued by the United States District Court for the Northern District of California. The injunction had temporarily blocked the implementation of President Donald Trump's executive order titled "Department of Government Efficiency" Workforce Optimization Initiative, which aimed to enact a hiring freeze and large-scale reductions in force across federal agencies. The Supreme Court's decision allows the federal government to proceed with the order while the legal challenge continues. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented in the 8-1 decision.
• Supreme Court stays preliminary injunction on Trump's workforce optimization order — On July 8, 2025, the Supreme Court granted a stay on a preliminary injunction that had been issued by the United States District Court for the Northern District of California. The injunction had temporarily blocked the implementation of President Donald Trump's executive order titled "Department of Government Efficiency" Workforce Optimization Initiative, which aimed to enforce a hiring freeze and large-scale reductions in force across federal agencies. The Supreme Court's decision allows the federal government to proceed with the order while the legal challenge continues. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented in the 8-1 decision.
• Supreme Court Grants Stay in Trump v. American Federation of Government Employees — On July 8, 2025, the Supreme Court granted the federal government's request for a stay in the case of Donald J. Trump, President of the United States, et al. v. American Federation of Government Employees, et al. This decision allows the Trump administration to proceed with implementing an executive order that enacts a hiring freeze and large-scale reductions in force across federal agencies. The order had been previously blocked by a preliminary injunction issued by Judge Susan Illston of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California. The Supreme Court's decision was made in an 8-1 vote, with Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson dissenting.

Supporting reports

• Appeal filed — American Association of University Professors v. United States Department of Justice (S.D.N.Y.) 1:25-cv-02429 — Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil dismissed the case. That day, the Plaintiffs appealed to the Second Circuit.
• Appeal filed — Boyle v. Trump (D. Md.) 8:25-cv-01628 — Defendants appealed Judge Maddox's summary judgment order to the Fourth Circuit.
• Case update — American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO v. Goldstein (S.D.N.Y.) 1:25-cv-03072 — Plaintiffs filed their second amended complaint .
• Case update — Carter v. Department of Education (D.D.C.) 1:25-cv-00744 — The court stayed the case pending the status of appeals in State of New York v. McMahon , Civil Action No. 25-10601 (D. Mass.) and Somerville Public Schools v. Trump , Civil Action No. 25-10677 (D. Mass.).
• Case update — City of Chicago v. United States Department of Homeland Security (N.D. Ill.) 1:25-cv-05462 — Plaintiffs filed an amended complaint , adding Boston, Denver, San Francisco, and Seattle as plaintiffs. The amended filing described each city's reliance on the Securing the Cities program and the harms from DHS's freeze on 2025 reimbursements and failure to release approved 2024 funds, shifted emphasis from primarily APA claims to a stronger Appropriations Clause theory challenging DHS's withholding of congressionally allocated funds, and stressed the need to restore funding before major events requiring heightened security, including political conventions and national holidays.
• Case update — City of New York v. Trump et al. (S.D.N.Y.) 1:25-cv-01510 — Plaintiff filed their second amended complaint (redline here ).
• Case update — J.G.G. v. Trump (D.D.C.) 1:25-cv-00766 — Plaintiffs/Appellees filed their opposition in the D.C. Circuit to the Defendants'/Appellants' emergency motion seeking a stay of Judge Boasberg's June 4 order pending appeal.
• Case update — Northern Alaska Environmental Center v. Trump (D. Alaska) 3:25-cv-00038 — Plaintiffs filed an amended complaint , which added the Conservation Law Foundation as a plaintiff.
• Motion granted — Democracy Forward Foundation v. Department of Education (D.D.C.) 1:25-cv-00940 — DOE answered Plaintiff's complaint, arguing that Plaintiff failed to state a claim for which relief can be granted, that the court lacks subject matter jurisdiction to grant relief authorized under FOIA, and that Plaintiff is not entitled to compel the release of records properly withheld under FOIA exclusions or exemptions, among other defenses.
• Preliminary injunction ruling — Schiff v. U.S. Office of Personnel Management (D. Mass.) 1:25-cv-10595 — Defendants filed a motion to dismiss , arguing that Plaintiffs' claims are moot in light of Defendants' compliance with the preliminary injunction order issued on May 23.
• House Judiciary Report on Trump Pardons — Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee released a report estimating that Trump's pardons have cost taxpayers over $1.3 billion in fines and restitution. The report highlights the financial impact of presidential pardons.
• R Kelly's Lawyers File Court Documents Alleging Overdose in Prison — Lawyers for R Kelly have filed new court documents alleging that the singer, who is serving a prison sentence for sex trafficking, was rushed to the hospital after overdosing on medication provided by prison staff. The filing claims that Kelly was placed in solitary confinement on June 10 and given medication with instructions to take it, leading to an overdose on June 13. The documents also allege a plot by Bureau of Prisons officials to have Kelly killed by another inmate, prompting a request for his release to home detention, which federal prosecutors have opposed.
• Case update — Project on Government Oversight, Inc. v. Trump (D.D.C.) 1:25-cv-00527 — Defendants filed an unopposed motion before Judge Boasberg seeking clarification or, alternatively, a stay of further proceedings. They argued that under 28 U.S.C. § 2243, no responsive pleading (return) is due in habeas proceedings until the court issues a writ or show-cause order, and that the preliminary-injunction briefing had already served that function. In the alternative, they requested that any requirement to file a return or dispositive motion be stayed until after the D.C. Circuit resolves the appeal of the June 4 order.
• Motion granted — Northern Alaska Environmental Center v. Trump (D. Alaska) 3:25-cv-00038 — Defendants moved to dismiss the complaint or stay proceedings in the alternative.
• Preliminary injunction ruling — Harris County Texas v. Robert F Kennedy Jr (D.D.C.) 1:25-cv-01275 — The court granted State of Alaska's motion to intervene . Judge Sharon Gleason ordered that the State of Alaska be admitted into the case as an intervenor-defendant.
• Preliminary injunction ruling — Project on Government Oversight, Inc. v. Trump (D.D.C.) 1:25-cv-00527 — Judge Christopher Cooper issued a memorandum opinion that granted in part and denied in part Plaintiffs' motion for a preliminary injunction. Judge Cooper granted relief to some of the grants held by four local-government plaintiffs (Harris County, Texas; Columbus, Ohio; Davidson County and Nashville, Tennessee; and Kansas City, Missouri) and decided against granting relief to all terminated grants nationwide. Defendants are enjoined from enforcing or otherwise giving effect to the March 2025 terminations of grants issued directly or indirectly to these four plaintiffs under the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2020, the CARES Act, and the CRRSAA.
• Temporary restraining order ruling — Association of American Universities v. Department of Defense (D. Mass.) 1:25-cv-11740 — Judge James E. Boasberg denied Plaintiff's preliminary injunction motion. In the supporting memorandum , Judge Boasberg noted Plaintiff failed to show a likelihood of irreparable harm absent a preliminary injunction.
• Temporary restraining order ruling — National Job Corps Association v. Department of Labor (S.D.N.Y.) 1:25-cv-04641 — The Court granted Plaintiffs' motion for a temporary restraining order, prohibiting the DOD from enforcing the Rate Cap Policy.
• Case update — Association for Education Finance and Policy Inc. v. McMahon (D.D.C.) 1:25-cv-00999 — Judge Carter extended the temporary restraining order through June 25.
• Case update — CREW v. DOGE (D.D.C.) 1:25-cv-00511 — Plaintiffs filed an amended complaint . In this amended complaint, plaintiffs removed their ultra vires and Impoundment Act claims. Plaintiffs also added counts specifying the IES terminations and their associated alleged APA violation.
• Case update — Democracy Forward Foundation v. U.S. Department of the Treasury (D.D.C.) 1:25-cv-00684 — CREW filed a motion for summary disposition with the D.C. Circuit following the Supreme Court's Jun. 6 order.
• Complaint filed — EA T-B v. Bostock — Democracy Forward and the Department of the Treasury filed a joint status report to note the identification of 5,807 potentially responsive documents and the parties' efforts to further narrow Plaintiff's FOIA request to alleviate processing burdens and allow for a more expeditious processing of documents.
• Motion denied — Democracy Forward Foundation v. U.S. Department of Justice (D.D.C.) 1:25-cv-01535 — Defendants/Appellants filed their reply in support of their emergency motion in the D.C. Circuit to stay Judge Boasberg's June 4 order pending appeal.
• Preliminary injunction ruling — San Francisco Unified School District v. AmeriCorps, a.k.a. the Corporation for National and Community Service (N.D. Cal.) 3:25 — A complaint was filed in the Western District of Washington under the case caption EA T-B v. Bostock, docket number 2:25-cv-01192. The case involves legal challenges related to actions taken by the Trump administration. Further details about the case are forthcoming.
• Preliminary injunction ruling — W.J.C.C. v. Trump (W.D. Pa.) 3:25-cv-00153 — DOJ, DHS, and State Department (Agency Defendants) answered Plaintiff's complaint. The Agency Defendants admitted they received the FOIA requests but denied improperly withholding records from Plaintiff under FOIA.
• Summary judgment ruling — Grundmann v. Trump et al . (D.D.C.) 1:25-cv-00425 — The court granted Plaintiffs' motion for a preliminary injunction, thereby enjoining Defendants from imposing and enforcing new conditions on Plaintiffs' AmeriCorps grants during the pendency of the lawsuit.
• Temporary restraining order ruling — Dvortsin as Next Friend of Hayam El Gamal et al., Petitioner, v. Noem (W.D. Tex.) 5:25-cv-00664 — Judge Stephanie Haines restated her holding in A.S.R. v. Trump , No. 3:25-cv-00113, that the presidential proclamation is a valid exercise of the AEA. Judge Haines, however, granted a preliminary injunction in favor of W.J.C.C., rejecting the government's claim that it could apply shortened notice akin to expedited removal procedures. The court held that the petitioner was entitled to: “(1) twenty-one (21) days' notice and an "opportunity to be heard," (2) notice that clearly articulates the fact that he is subject to removal under the Proclamation and the AEA, (3) notice in English and Spanish, the language of the one sought to be expelled, and if needed, Spanish-to-English interpreters shall be provided for any necessary hearings, and (4) notice of all of the foregoing to his counsel.” The court denied the petitioner's request for a preliminary injunction that would have barred the government from transferring him out of the district.
• Federal Appeals Court Rejects DOJ Representation for Trump — The D.C. Circuit issued an administrative stay of Judge Sparkle's March 12 order granting Plaintiff's motion for summary judgment .
• Federal Judge Blocks Education Department Firings — Judge Orlando Garcia granted a motion to extend the previous temporary restraining order blocking the removal of the family from the district or the United States.
• Federal Judge Blocks EPA Grant Cancellations — A federal appeals court rejected President Trump's request to have Justice Department lawyers represent him in his appeal of E. Jean Carroll's defamation case. The decision maintains the separation between personal and official legal matters.
• Case update — ACLU v. United States Social Security Administration (D.D.C.) 1:25-cv-01217 — A federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration from executing mass firings at the Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights. The decision prevents potential disruptions to civil rights enforcement.
• Stay pending appeal decided — Newsom v. Trump (N.D. Cal.) 3:25-cv-04870 — A federal judge blocked the EPA's cancellation of $600 million in environmental justice grants issued during the Biden administration. The ruling protects funding for underserved communities.
• Federal Judge Blocks Transportation Grant Conditions — Defendant Agencies answered Plaintiff's complaint. These agencies admitted that they failed to respond to Plaintiff's FOIA request, but provided several defenses to Plaintiff's action, including alleging Plaintiff is not entitled to compel the production of records under FOIA, the court lacks subject matter jurisdiction over Plaintiff's requests, and that they did not improperly withhold the records Plaintiff requested under FOIA.
• Appeal filed — Mahmoud Khalil v. William P. Joyce et al. (D.N.J.) 2:25-cv-01963 — The Ninth Circuit granted the federal government a stay pending appeal .
• Motion denied — Darwin Antonio Arevalo Millan v. Trump (C.D. Cal.) 5:25-cv-01207 — A federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration from tying federal transportation grant funding to immigration enforcement cooperation. The ruling protects states' rights to manage their own policies.
• Motion granted — J.G.G. v. Trump (D.D.C.) 1:25-cv-00766 — Judge Farbiarz ordered Mahmoud Khalil, who is currently detained by federal immigration authorities in Louisiana, be released from custody. On that same day, the government appealed Judge Farbiarz's June 11 order granting a preliminary injunction to the Third Circuit. Note: Mahmoud Khalil submitted a notice of claim under the Federal Tort Claims Act, seeking $20 million in damages from the administration for his detention. The notice alleges that Khalil's arrest and prolonged confinement were the result of discriminatory intent by Secretary Rubio, and that his treatment-including prolonged solitary confinement and denial of medical care-constituted multiple tortious acts by federal officers.
• Preliminary injunction ruling — American Federation of Government Employees, et al. v. Office of Personnel Management et al (S.D.N.Y.) 1:25-cv-01237 — Judge Holcomb denied petitioners' ex parte application for a writ of habeas corpus, noting petitioner's detention remains permissible under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) because of the government's intention to appeal the grant of relief in petitioner's removal proceedings (since petitioners can remain in custody pending such appeals).
• Preliminary injunction ruling — American Foreign Service Association v. Trump (D.D.C.) 1:25-cv-01030 — Judge Boasberg granted the Defendants unopposed motion for clarification, confirming that the Defendants does not need to take further action in the district court until the D.C. Circuit issues its mandate in the appeal of his June 4 order.
• Preliminary injunction ruling — American Oversight v. Hegseth (D.D.C.) 1:25-cv-00883 — In connection with the June 9 preliminary injunction order, Judge Cote ordered OPM to file a report within two weeks describing the procedures put in place since March 6, to ensure adherence to the requirements of the Privacy Act with respect to new grant of access permissions by OPM to records containing Plaintiffs' personally identifiable information (PII). Judge Cote also ordered OPM to file a report within four weeks concerning OPM's grant of access permissions to any records containing Plaintiffs' PII made to DOGE personnel.
• Preliminary injunction ruling — Open Technology Fund v. Kari Lake (D.D.C.) 1:25-cv-00840 — The D.C. Circuit en banc stayed the preliminary injunction order pending appeal.
• Preliminary injunction ruling — President and Fellows of Harvard College v. Department of Homeland Security (D. Mass.) 1:25-cv-11472 — Judge Boasberg granted in part and denied in part the Plaintiff's motion for a preliminary injunction, granting a narrower relief by requiring that Defendants perform their mandatory notification and referral obligations, as explained in its accompanying memorandum opinion .
• Stay motion decided — State of New York v. United States Department of Education (S.D.N.Y.) 1:25-cv-02990 — Judge Royce Lamberth granted Plaintiff's preliminary injunction motion, thereby enjoining Defendants from withholding congressionally appropriated funds under the grant agreement for Fiscal Year 2024 between USAGM and OTF.
• Summary judgment ruling — Association of American Universities v. National Science Foundation (D. Mass.) 1:25-cv-11231 — Judge Burroughs issued a preliminary injunction barring that administration from banning Harvard from participating in the State Department's Student and Visitor Exchange Program.
• Federal Judge Blocks Harvard Student Ban — The Second Circuit denied Defendants' motion to stay the district court's order, finding DOE's actions likely arbitrary and capricious under the APA-without any particularized assessment and insufficiently attentive to reliance interests-and concluding that a stay would substantially injure the plaintiff States.
• Federal Judge Orders Release of Mahmoud Khalil — The court granted Plaintiffs' motion for summary judgment. Implementation of the 15% Indirect Cost Rate is vacated and declared invalid, arbitrary and capricious, and contrary to law. The court further ordered that within 72 hours of entry of this order, Defendants provide written notice of the order to all funding recipients affected by the 15% Indirect Cost Rate.
• — A federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration from prohibiting Harvard University from admitting international students. The ruling prevents the implementation of a plan to remove the school from the Student and Visitor Exchange Program.
• — A federal judge ordered the release of Mahmoud Khalil from ICE detention on bail, citing concerns that his detention was used as punishment for his activism. Khalil is a Palestinian green card holder involved in student protests.

Supporting reports

• DOGE Operative Installs AI at HUD — Christopher Sweet, a DOGE operative with no prior government experience, has been assigned to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). He is using artificial intelligence to analyze and potentially rewrite agency regulations, a process deemed redundant by current officials.
• National Park Service Faces Workforce Reductions — The Department of the Interior is preparing to implement a "reduction in force" that could eliminate 1,500 positions from the National Park Service, bringing total workforce losses to approximately 5,000. This move is part of broader cuts initiated by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

Supporting reports

• Trump signs executive order reversing probationary-period protections for federal employees, requiring affirmative agency certification to retain workers. — President Trump signed Executive Order 14284 on April 24, 2025, fundamentally restructuring federal civil service probationary and trial periods. The order repeals existing protections under 5 CFR Part 315, Subpart H, and establishes a new Civil Service Rule XI that shifts the burden of proof: employees must now demonstrate why their continued employment serves the public interest, and agencies must affirmatively certify retention within 30 days before the probationary period ends or the employee is automatically terminated. The order takes effect immediately for most provisions, with full implementation 90 days out. Agencies must identify affected employees and designate evaluators within 15 days.
• Trump issued executive order strengthening probationary periods in federal service — President Trump signed an executive order on April 24, 2025, fundamentally restructuring federal employee probationary and trial periods. The order reverses the presumption that probationary employees automatically become tenured; instead, agencies must affirmatively certify within 30 days before the probationary period ends that an employee's continued employment "advances the public interest." The order repeals existing Civil Service Rule 2.4 and establishes new Civil Service Rule XI, shifting the burden of proof to employees to demonstrate why their continuation serves the public interest. Agencies must designate evaluators and conduct performance reviews at least 60 days before probation ends.
• Trump signed Executive Order 14284 reversing probationary-period protections for federal employees — President Trump signed Executive Order 14284 on April 24, 2025, fundamentally restructuring federal probationary and trial periods. The order reverses the presumption that probationary employees become tenured; instead, agencies must affirmatively certify within 30 days before the probationary period ends that an employee's continued employment "advances the public interest," or the employee is automatically terminated. The order repeals existing Civil Service Rule 2.4 and subpart H of 5 CFR 315, replacing them with new Civil Service Rule XI that shifts the burden of proof to the employee and grants agency heads sole discretion in determining whether to finalize appointments based on performance, agency needs, organizational goals, and service efficiency.
• White House issues fact sheet on executive order strengthening federal employee probationary periods — The White House published a fact sheet on April 24, 2025, describing an executive order signed by President Trump that modifies civil service rules governing probationary and trial periods for federal employees. The order establishes Civil Service Rule XI, requiring agencies to affirmatively certify that retaining probationary employees after their trial period serves the public interest, rather than allowing automatic tenure. The fact sheet states the order mandates individualized performance reviews at least 60 days before probationary periods end and requires agencies to identify probationary employees and designators within 15 days.
• Trump signed executive order making federal workers easier to fire — On April 24, 2025, Trump signed an executive order making it easier to fire federal workers within their probationary period. These probationary employees already have fewer protections and were earlier targets of the administration. The order stated "The American people deserve a Federal workforce that is high-quality, efficient, dedicated to the public interest, and no larger than necessary."

Supporting reports

• Federal workforce reductions through DOGE restructuring — DOGE's rapid restructuring of government agencies resulted in thousands of federal employees being laid off or removed. The article notes this was a consequence of Musk's formation and leadership of DOGE, which systematized agency gutting across the federal government.
• USAID decimated by DOGE restructuring — DOGE, under Musk's leadership, decimated USAID, the world's largest single provider of humanitarian aid. The article describes this as one of Musk's "triumphant" moments during his tenure in government, indicating a major agency restructuring or defunding.

Supporting reports

• HHS mass layoffs eliminate public health programs across CDC, FDA, and related agencies — HHS Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr implemented layoffs affecting approximately 10,000 employees (one-quarter of the 82,000-person workforce) on April 1–2, 2025. The cuts eliminated entire divisions and programs including the CDC's infertility expertise branch, the Division of Environmental Health Science and Practice (responsible for climate health, lead poisoning, asthma, air quality), the FDA's tobacco policy division, the FDA's media affairs and drug communications teams, and the Administration for Community Living's disability and elderly services. The Mine Safety and Health Administration also sustained cuts affecting coal miner respiratory protection programs. Layoffs occurred with minimal public notice and left Congress uninformed.
• Department of Health and Human Services conducted mass layoffs affecting CDC, NIH, and FDA — The Department of Health and Human Services executed mass layoffs that gutted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on April 1, 2025. The layoffs significantly reduced capacity at three critical federal health agencies.
• HHS fires thousands of employees across FDA, CDC, and NIH — On April 1, HHS fired thousands of employees, including 3,500 staffers at the Food and Drug Administration, 2,400 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and 1,200 from the National Institutes of Health. Former FDA Commissioner Robert Califf stated that the FDA "as we've known it is finished." The cuts included all employees responsible for handling Freedom of Information Act requests at the CDC and two-thirds of records request staff at the FDA.
• Trump administration implements mass layoffs at Health and Human Services, targeting 8,000–10,000 employees — The Trump administration, led by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., began laying off thousands of HHS employees on April 1, 2025. Workers across the country were summoned to federal buildings and informed of termination via badge-scan systems. The cuts target 8,000–10,000 positions across multiple agencies, including 3,500 at the FDA, 2,400 at the CDC, 1,200 at the NIH, and 300 at CMS. The restructuring aims to reduce HHS staffing from 82,000 to 62,000 positions, eliminating nearly a quarter of the workforce. Positions in human resources, procurement, finance, IT, and "high cost regions" are prioritized for elimination.
• RFK Jr acknowledges 20% of HHS job cuts were errors; reinstatement process underway — Robert F Kennedy Jr, US health secretary, admitted that approximately 2,000 of the 10,000 jobs cut from the Department of Health and Human Services this week were terminated in error and will be reinstated. The cuts, orchestrated by Elon Musk's "Department of Government Efficiency" (DOGE), were intended to target administrative roles but mistakenly eliminated research positions, including CDC programs monitoring lead exposure in children and FDA tobacco policy divisions. Kennedy stated reinstatement was always part of the plan, though specifics on which staff and functions will be restored remain unclear.
• HHS reinstates roughly 20% of fired employees — Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told reporters on April 3 that roughly 20% of the 10,000 jobs cut from the HHS were being reinstated, claiming the firings were made in error. The reinstatement of a portion of fired employees suggests the initial cuts were not fully justified.
• Department of Health and Human Services slashed CDC jobs and programs. — On Tuesday (April 1), the Department of Health and Human Services slashed jobs and programs at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The cuts occurred even as measles continues to spread across the country and two Louisiana infants have died of whooping cough. The timing and scope of the cuts undermined the CDC's capacity to respond to ongoing public health threats.
• Termination of Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System team — In April 2025, the entire team behind the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS), a critical tool for understanding maternal and child health outcomes, was eliminated. The loss of this team has rendered the system non-functional despite the registry remaining nominally in place, disrupting maternal and child health monitoring at state and local levels.
• NIH layoffs of senior researchers in neurological disease research — Senator Dick Durbin detailed to HHS Secretary Kennedy that on April 1, ten laboratory heads at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Strokes—all PhDs and senior investigators—received layoff notices. Science magazine reported 25 of 320 physician researchers at NIH's Internal Clinical Center are leaving, patient numbers in the hospital have been reduced by 30%, and three grants involving ALS and dementia work at Northwestern University in Illinois have been paused. An ALS researcher at Harvard also had his grant cut. When Durbin asked Kennedy about these cuts, Kennedy claimed he had no knowledge of them until Durbin informed him.
• CDC officials overseeing bird flu response fired — On 1 April 2025, several CDC officials overseeing the bird flu (H5N1) response were fired. Following their dismissal, testing of people exposed to sick animals dropped dramatically from approximately 830 people tested by late February to only about 50 people tested afterward, with no positive cases announced. This reduction in surveillance coincided with a broader erosion of pandemic preparedness infrastructure.

Supporting reports

• Trump signs Executive Order 14251 excluding federal agencies from labor-management relations coverage — President Trump signed Executive Order 14251 on March 27, 2025, excluding numerous federal agencies and subdivisions from coverage under the Federal Service Labor-Management Relations Statute (Chapter 71, Title 5, U.S.C.) and the Foreign Service Labor-Management Relations Statute (Subchapter X, Chapter 52, Title 22, U.S.C.). The order amends Executive Order 12171 and designates agencies including State, Defense, Treasury, Veterans Affairs, Justice, HHS, DHS, Interior, Energy, Agriculture, EPA, USAID, NRC, NSF, USITC, FCC, and GSA as having primary national security functions incompatible with collective bargaining. It delegates authority to the Secretaries of Defense, Veterans Affairs, and Transportation to issue further exclusions or suspensions. The order requires agency heads to reassign affected employees and terminate pending grievance proceedings upon collective bargaining agreement termination.
• Office of Personnel Management issues guidance implementing union elimination order — Following Trump's executive order, the Office of Personnel Management issued a memo providing guidance to federal departments and subdivisions on implementation, which includes terminating existing collective bargaining agreements and ending voluntary union dues collection through payroll systems. The directive applies across multiple agencies affecting hundreds of thousands of federal workers.
• Trump administration issues executive order stripping collective bargaining rights from federal workers — On 27 March, President Trump issued an executive order citing national security to exempt collective bargaining at several federal departments, affecting more than 1 million federal workers. The order was accompanied by lawsuits filed by the Trump administration against federal unions, including the American Federation of Government Employees and the National Treasury Employees Union, in Texas and Kentucky courts. Unions have filed motions to dismiss and counter-lawsuits, and bipartisan legislation has been introduced in the House to restore bargaining rights. A federal judge in Washington DC granted a preliminary injunction blocking the order on 25 April.
• Trump signs executive order eliminating collective bargaining for federal workers — President Trump signed an executive order on Thursday that attempts to eliminate collective bargaining rights for hundreds of thousands of federal workers across more than 30 agencies. The Office of Personnel Management issued guidance directing departments to terminate collective bargaining agreements and end voluntary union dues collection. The Trump administration subsequently filed a lawsuit in Texas court seeking declaratory relief to rescind or repudiate collective bargaining agreements, citing national security and personnel policy constraints. Union leaders representing approximately 1.2 million federal workers have condemned the order as union-busting and retaliatory, vowing immediate legal action.
• Trump issues executive order excluding major federal agencies from labor-management relations protections — President Trump signed an executive order on March 27, 2025, excluding numerous federal agencies and subdivisions from coverage under the Federal Service Labor-Management Relations Statute (Chapter 71, Title 5, U.S.C.) and the Foreign Service Labor-Management Relations Statute (Subchapter X, Chapter 52, Title 22, U.S.C.). The order designates State, Defense, Treasury, Veterans Affairs, Justice, HHS, DHS, Interior, Energy, Agriculture, Commerce, EPA, USAID, NRC, NSF, USITC, FCC, GSA, and other agencies as having primary national security functions, thereby removing collective bargaining protections from thousands of federal employees. Secretaries of Defense and Veterans Affairs retain limited authority to restore coverage for specific subdivisions if they certify national security compatibility; the Secretary of Transportation gains broad discretion to exclude DOT and FAA subdivisions.
• Trump signed Executive Order 14251 excluding major federal agencies from labor-management relations protections — President Trump signed Executive Order 14251 on March 27, 2025, excluding numerous federal agencies and subdivisions from coverage under the Federal Service Labor-Management Relations Statute (Chapter 71 of title 5, U.S.C.) and related foreign service labor protections. The order claims national security justification and removes collective bargaining rights from employees in the State Department, Defense Department, Treasury, Veterans Affairs, Justice Department, HHS (including CDC and FDA), DHS (including USCIS, ICE, and FEMA), Interior, Energy, Agriculture, Commerce, EPA, USAID, NRC, NSF, ITC, FCC, GSA, and numerous other agencies. The order delegates authority to the Secretaries of Defense, Veterans Affairs, and Transportation to issue further exclusions or suspensions.
• White House issues fact sheet on executive order exempting national security agencies from federal collective bargaining — The White House published a fact sheet on March 27, 2025, describing an executive order signed by President Trump that exempts agencies with national security missions from federal collective bargaining requirements under the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978. The order applies to specified components of the Department of Defense, Veterans Affairs, Department of Homeland Security, Department of State, Department of Energy, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Justice, Department of Treasury, Department of Commerce, and other agencies. The fact sheet states the order aims to prevent union obstruction of agency management and policy implementation.
• Trump administration files lawsuit to rescind federal worker collective bargaining agreements — The Trump administration filed a lawsuit in a Texas court seeking declaratory relief to confirm its legal authority to rescind or repudiate collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) with federal workers. The lawsuit claims CBAs "significantly constrain" the executive branch and that rescinding them is necessary to protect national security and develop personnel policies otherwise precluded by the agreements. The filing seeks legal certainty before implementing the executive order's directive to eliminate collective bargaining.
• Department of Justice filed declaratory judgment lawsuit against American Federation of Government Employees affiliates — The Department of Justice announced it filed a lawsuit in the Western District of Texas on March 27, 2025, on behalf of eight federal agencies against locals, councils, and Division 10 of the American Federation of Government Employees. The suit seeks a declaratory judgment confirming the agencies' legal right to terminate collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) with the union. The filing followed a presidential Executive Order titled "Exclusions from Federal Labor-Management Relations Programs" that determined certain agencies performing investigative and national security work need not collectively bargain. The agencies argue CBAs impede national security missions and workforce accountability.

Supporting reports

• SSA commissioner threatens agency shutdown — Acting Social Security Administration Commissioner Leland Dudek threatened to shut down the agency in response to a restraining order issued by Judge Hollander. Dudek claimed that the order could apply to all SSA employees and expressed concerns about the implications for the agency's operations and the distribution of benefits to millions of Americans.
• Leland Dudek revealed he secretly cooperated with DOGE to undermine SSA leadership — Acting Social Security Administration Commissioner Leland Dudek, a mid-level staffer who won his position by secretly cooperating with DOGE's demands, publicly confessed on LinkedIn to his role in circumventing agency leadership. He wrote: "I confess. I bullied agency executives, shared executive contact information, and circumvented the chain of command to connect DOGE with the people who get stuff done." Dudek had worked to undermine SSA's former head, Michelle King, who had stood in the way of DOGE's access to sensitive records.
• Judge Ellen Lipton Hollander reprimanded Social Security Commissioner Lee Dudek for misrepresenting court orders — Judge Ellen Lipton Hollander reprimanded Social Security Administration Commissioner Lee Dudek for making false statements in media interviews about her court order denying DOGE employees access to Social Security data. Dudek falsely claimed the order applied to "almost all SSA employees" when it expressly applied only to SSA employees working on the DOGE agenda. Judge Hollander stated Dudek's claims were "inaccurate" and "patently incorrect" and noted she may have been misled by government counsel. Dudek subsequently issued a statement admitting his media claims were wrong but blamed the judge for being unclear.

Supporting reports

• Trump administration defunds US Agency for Global Media — On 14 March, Donald Trump issued an executive order to defund the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), which oversees Voice of America and provides grants to Radio Free Asia and other international news agencies. The agency employed approximately 3,500 staff with an $886m annual budget. Foreign workers on visas face deportation to authoritarian countries where they risk imprisonment or death. Two VoA contributors are imprisoned in Myanmar and Vietnam; four Radio Free Asia contributors are imprisoned in Vietnam. Federal workers, journalists, and labor unions filed a lawsuit seeking to reverse the shutdown.
• Trump signed executive order rescinding 17 additional Biden-era executive actions and memoranda — President Trump signed an executive order on March 14, 2025, rescinding 17 additional executive actions, memoranda, and determinations issued by the Biden administration. The rescissions include orders on COVID-19 response, federal contractor minimum wage, LGBTQ+ human rights abroad, apprenticeships, worker empowerment, tribal self-determination, biotechnology innovation, and various Defense Production Act determinations related to infant formula, solar modules, insulation, electrolyzers, and heat pumps. The order states the rescissions are necessary to "restore common sense to the Federal Government and unleash the potential of American citizens."
• White House issued executive order directing elimination of seven federal agencies and components — The White House issued an executive order on March 14, 2025, directing the elimination of non-statutory components and functions of seven federal entities: the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, the United States Agency for Global Media, the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness, the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund, and the Minority Business Development Agency. The order requires each entity to reduce to minimum statutory functions within 7 days and directs OMB to reject funding requests inconsistent with the order.

Supporting reports

• Federal judge orders reinstatement of fired probationary staff — A federal judge in California, William H. Alsup, issued a preliminary injunction to reinstate thousands of probationary federal employees who were fired from six federal agencies. The ruling is part of a lawsuit filed by the American Federation of Government Employees. The judge criticized the Trump administration's justification for the firings, stating that claims of poor performance were false. The order affects employees from the Departments of Defense, Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, Energy, Interior, and Treasury. The judge also restricted the Office of Personnel Management from advising agencies on terminations.
• Judge orders Musk to comply with lawsuit — U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan ordered Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency to turn over their records and answer questions in response to a lawsuit filed by 14 attorneys general from Democratic-dominated states. They are required to comply within three weeks.
• Judge orders rehiring of federal employees — Judge William Alsup ordered the Trump administration to immediately rehire tens of thousands of federal employees from various departments who were terminated due to Elon Musk's DOGE cuts. The judge criticized the administration for allegedly firing employees under false pretenses of performance issues, calling it a lie and expressing frustration over the lack of transparency in the process.
• Federal judge reinstates fired probationary workers — On March 13, 2025, a federal judge in California granted a preliminary injunction to reinstate thousands of fired probationary workers at federal agencies. This decision was part of a lawsuit filed by the American Federation of Government Employees. The ruling applies to employees from several departments, including Defense and Veterans Affairs, who were dismissed under claims of poor performance. The judge criticized these claims as false and prohibited the Office of Personnel Management from advising on terminations.
• Federal judges rule against Musk's firings — Two federal judges issued rulings against Elon Musk's "department of government efficiency" (Doge) regarding the firing of probationary employees. Judge William H. Alsup in California ruled that fired employees must be offered their jobs back, criticizing the process as a "sham." In Maryland, Judge James Bredar issued a temporary restraining order blocking further firings at 18 federal agencies. These rulings challenge Musk's cost-cutting measures, which have faced public disapproval and legal scrutiny.
• Judge orders reinstatement of federal workers — U.S. District Judge William Alsup ruled that federal agencies must immediately offer jobs back to thousands of probationary workers who were purged from the government early in President Trump's administration. The judge stated that the mass firings did not follow legal protocols. Additionally, Judge James Bredar ordered the reinstatement of these workers across multiple federal departments, indicating that the government likely engaged in an illegal scheme regarding the firings.
• Judge rules against mass firings — U.S. District Judge William Alsup ruled that the mass firings of probationary workers from various federal departments did not comply with legal requirements. The judge expressed skepticism about the government's claims regarding the firings and criticized the lack of transparency in the process.

Supporting reports

• White House plans mass layoffs at IRS and Veterans Affairs — The Trump administration, through Elon Musk's "department of government efficiency" (Doge), is planning significant layoffs at the IRS and Veterans Affairs (VA). The IRS may see up to half of its 90,000 employees laid off, while the VA plans to cut up to 83,000 workers by the end of 2025. These cuts aim to reduce the workforce to 2019 levels, despite increased demand for services following the 2022 Pact Act. The layoffs are part of a broader strategy to reduce federal agency sizes, which has faced legal challenges and criticism for undermining essential services.

Supporting reports

• Trump issues executive order rescinding collective bargaining rights for federal workers — In March 2025, President Trump issued an executive order invoking national security to rescind collective bargaining rights for approximately two-thirds of federal workers—over one million employees. The order stated Trump would not tolerate "mass obstruction" from unions. Six labor unions filed a lawsuit challenging the order as unlawful. Unions initially won a sweeping injunction, but a federal appeals court overturned it. The administration then stripped hundreds of thousands of federal workers of their union contracts in August. Court proceedings continue.

Supporting reports

• Department of Education offers misleading buyout — The US Department of Education sent an email to its employees offering a buyout of up to $25,000 for voluntary resignation or retirement. The offer, described by employees as misleading, would provide the lesser amount between the buyout and severance pay. Employees noted that severance and unused leave compensation would be significantly higher than the buyout. The email was initially retracted and then resent, with a deadline for acceptance by the end of the following Monday. The offer also includes a stipulation requiring repayment if the employee returns to federal employment within five years.

Supporting reports

• Judge temporarily blocks Trump’s mass firings at federal agencies — A federal judge in California, William Alsup, has temporarily blocked the Trump administration from executing mass firings of federal employees, including probationary workers, across various agencies. The judge ruled that the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) lacked the authority to order such firings. The decision came after a lawsuit filed by labor unions and non-profit organizations. The judge ordered the OPM to rescind emails directing agencies to identify employees for termination. The ruling highlights concerns about the potential widespread harm of these firings on government services.
• Judge blocks Trump's mass firings at federal agencies — A federal judge in California has temporarily blocked the Trump administration from proceeding with mass firings at the Department of Defense and other federal agencies. This judicial intervention halts the administration's plans to significantly reduce the federal workforce, which had been criticized for potentially undermining the functioning of essential government services.
• Judge orders rescission of mass firings at federal agencies — U.S. District Judge William Alsup ordered the Office of Personnel Management to rescind the mass firings of probationary government workers, ruling that such actions were likely illegal and undermined agency operations.

Supporting reports

• White House demands federal agencies plan for mass layoffs — The Trump administration issued a memo demanding federal agencies to identify hundreds of thousands of potential layoffs by March 13. The memo, sent by Russell Vought, director of the Office of Management and Budget, targets employees performing non-essential functions not mandated by statute or regulation. This move has sparked concern among trade union leaders and federal employees, who fear the privatization of services and the dismantling of essential government functions. The administration's actions are seen as part of a broader effort to reduce the federal workforce and cut costs.

Supporting reports

• OMB and OPM prepare for mass firings — The heads of the Office of Management and Budget and the Office of Personnel Management sent a memo to federal agencies to prepare for mass firings and submit "reorganization plans" by March 13. This directive could lead to significant changes in the federal workforce.
• White House demands federal agencies plan for mass layoffs — The Trump administration issued a memo demanding federal agencies to identify hundreds of thousands of potential layoffs by March 13. The memo, sent by Russell Vought, director of the Office of Management and Budget, targets employees performing non-essential functions not mandated by statute or regulation. This move has sparked concern among trade union leaders and federal employees, who fear the privatization of services and the dismantling of essential government functions. The administration's actions are seen as part of a broader effort to reduce the federal workforce and cut costs.
• Memo on federal government reform sent — Office of Management and Budget director Russell Vought and Office of Personnel Management acting director Charles Ezell sent a memo to department heads outlining a plan to reform the federal government, claiming inefficiency and waste. The memo cites the public's support for President Trump's agenda as a mandate for these changes. The memo indicates a push for significant reductions in government spending and workforce.
• Plans for agency layoffs announced — Office of Management and Budget director Russell Vought announced that agency heads should prepare for large-scale layoffs and submit plans for reorganizing their agencies by March 13. This directive follows significant cuts already made within the federal workforce.