California Judge Susan Illston dealt a blow to the Trump administration’s firing plans Wednesday when she blocked efforts to lay off federal employees during the government shutdown.
It’s just the latest move to block the administration’s layoff plans from Illston, a Clinton-appointed senior federal judge in San Francisco at the center of the high-stakes legal fight challenging the Trump administration’s moves to slash the federal workforce.
The 77-year-old judge has emerged as an idol to some federal workers and other Trump critics. Her moves to thwart the Trump administration’s mass layoff plans have served as bright spots for a workforce that’s been gobsmacked by the speed and scope of the administration’s cuts to government.
“Everyone thinks she’s a hero,” said Nicole Cantello, a union leader who represents EPA employees in the agency’s Chicago regional office.
