A federal judge in California on Wednesday blocked the Trump administration from firing thousands of federal workers amidst the ongoing government shutdown. The ruling provides a temporary but critical reprieve for the roughly 4,100 employees who had already been notified that their jobs were being eliminated.
The decision came after labor unions representing the employees filed a lawsuit to counter threats from President Donald Trump. The president had previously suggested he would use the shutdown to slash the workforce. In response, the unions argued in court that the administration was acting unlawfully by targeting federal workers during a lapse in appropriations.
