Judge Halts Trump’s Plan to Send Thousands of Federal Employees on Unpaid Leave During Holiday Season
In a significant victory for federal employees, a federal judge has issued a temporary restraining order blocking the Trump administration’s plan to send thousands of employees on unpaid leave during the holiday season.
The move comes after the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), the largest federal employee union, filed a lawsuit against the administration, arguing that the plan was illegal and would cause significant financial hardship for affected employees.
Under the plan, which was announced in October, the administration intended to send up to 124,000 federal employees on unpaid leave from December 24 to January 1, citing budget constraints and a need to reduce costs. The affected employees, who work in various agencies including the Department of Defense, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Social Security Administration, would have been forced to take unpaid time off during the holiday season, potentially leaving them without a paycheck for several weeks.
However, Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia ruled on Monday that the plan was "arbitrary and capricious" and violated the Administrative Procedure Act, which requires federal agencies to follow a formal process when making significant changes to their operations.
The judge’s decision is a major blow to the Trump administration, which had argued that the plan was necessary to reduce costs and ensure the long-term sustainability of federal programs. However, the AFGE and other unions argued that the plan was a thinly veiled attempt to punish federal employees for their union activities and to undermine the collective bargaining process.
"This is a huge victory for federal employees and a major setback for the Trump administration’s attempts to undermine the federal workforce," said AFGE President J. David Cox. "We are thrilled that the court has recognized the illegality of this plan and has stopped it in its tracks."
The ruling is a significant victory for federal employees, who have been facing a series of attacks on their rights and benefits under the Trump administration. The plan to send employees on unpaid leave was seen as the latest example of the administration’s disregard for the federal workforce and its attempts to weaken the collective bargaining process.
The case is expected to go to trial in the coming months, with the AFGE seeking a permanent injunction to block the plan. The outcome of the case could have significant implications for federal employees and the federal workforce as a whole.
In the meantime, the Trump administration has vowed to appeal the ruling and continue to push for its plan to send employees on unpaid leave. However, the judge’s decision is a significant setback for the administration and a major victory for federal employees who are fighting to protect their rights and benefits.
