The U.S. Supreme Court granted a significant legal victory to President Donald Trump on Tuesday by allowing his executive order for large-scale federal workforce reductions to move forward.
In a brief, unsigned decision, the Court lifted a lower court injunction that had blocked Trump’s February 13 order, which called for substantial cuts across federal agencies. The injunction had been issued by Judge Susan Illston, a Clinton appointee in Northern California, who raised questions about the legality of the directive.
The Supreme Court, however, dismissed her concerns as largely speculative. At the time, the government had not yet submitted detailed plans for the proposed agency reorganizations, leaving the lower court without concrete information to review.
“Given that the Government is likely to prevail on its assertion that the Executive Order and Memorandum are lawful — and considering that the other factors relevant to granting a stay are met — we approve the application,” the Court wrote, effectively clearing the way for Trump’s planned federal workforce reductions.
This decision marks a major step forward for the administration’s efforts to overhaul federal staffing, allowing the executive branch to implement sweeping changes that could reshape multiple agencies and affect thousands of employees.