A federal judge in California has temporarily barred the Trump administration from using the government shutdown as the basis for layoffs at EPA, the Energy Department and other agencies.
In a ruling from the bench Wednesday, Judge Susan Illston said President Donald Trump and his closest advisers have attempted to reshape the federal government without any regard for the rule of law.
Illston, a Clinton appointee to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, pointed to Trump’s statements blaming Democrats for the government shutdown and showcasing White House budget director Russ Vought as the “grim reaper,” slashing the federal workforce and programs so that the government is unable to rebuild after the president leaves office.
“You can’t do that in a nation of laws,” Illston said.
The judge said she would issue a written version of her temporary restraining order against the government later Wednesday.
