Federal Judge Stops Trump and Musk’s Unlawful US Government Shake-Up!

A California district judge provisionally stopped a move that a coalition comprising labor unions, city governments, and nonprofit organizations criticized as “an unconstitutional attempt to dismantle the federal government by the U.S. president, an act of unprecedented scale and beyond his legal power.”

Since resuming office in January, U.S. President Donald Trump, with support from the so-called Department of Government Efficiency led by billionaire Elon Musk, has aggressively sought to restructure the federal bureaucracy. The coalition filing the complaint pointed out that “the president lacks the authority to reorganize or diminish federal agencies without explicit congressional approval.”

Judge Susan Illston sided with the coalition, which includes groups such as the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Alliance for Retired Americans, Main Street Alliance, Natural Resources Defense Council, and the city and county governments of San Francisco, Chicago, Baltimore, among others.

In her 42-page ruling, Illston stated, “While the president can propose modifications to executive branch agencies, these must be pursued through lawful means and typically require legislative cooperation for major restructurings, a course of action taken by past administrations and supported by historical congressional precedence.”

Illston emphasized that “the president likely needs to seek congressional approval for the changes he desires, consequently leading the court to issue a temporary restraining order to halt the extensive workforce reductions in the meantime,” highlighting her role appointed by former President Bill Clinton.

Illston mentioned that “a temporary restraining order is inherently short-lived. The court will decline the defendants’ plea for a stay on this order, as it would defeat the purpose. The court is set to promptly consider a preliminary injunction.”

The coalition responded positively to the judge’s decision in a statement late Friday, saying, “The unlawful efforts by the Trump administration to restructure the federal government have plunged agencies into disarray and disrupted vital services across our country.”

“Our communities depend on the federal government’s operational efficiency; random layoffs and disorganized overhauls do not contribute to this goal,” added the coalition. “We are thankful for today’s court ruling which temporarily halts these detrimental activities while our lawsuit continues.”

Described as “the largest and most crucial challenge to Trump’s authority to reshape the government without congressional consent” by the coalition, the lawsuit was initiated on April 28 by their legal teams, including Democracy Forward, Altshuler Berzon LLP, Protect Democracy, Public Rights Project, and State Democracy Defenders Fund.

The decision by Illston followed an emergency hearing where coalition attorney Danielle Leonard criticized the Trump administration’s plan as fundamentally undermining the services funded by Congress, thus creating a significant conflict over the separation of powers, as reported by The New York Times.

As noted by the newspaper:

“The government used to be presumed to act regularly, which it must strive to reestablish,” Leonard stated.

She remarked that the Trump administration has failed to demonstrate any legitimate authority that would allow the president to usurp congressional powers. Furthermore, the administration’s explanations for why the president could enact such extensive restructuring without Congress are inconsistent and contradictory.

“It’s like an ouroboros: the snake eating its tail,” she commented.

Illston has urged the plaintiff coalition to file a motion for a preliminary injunction by next Wednesday, with the federal defendants, including Trump and various federal agencies, to respond by the following Monday, limiting submissions to 25 pages each.

Even if the lawsuit prevails, the narrow Republican majority in Congress could potentially facilitate Trump’s efforts to similarly revamp the federal government before the midterm elections.