Overview
- U.S. District Judge Susan Illston issued a temporary restraining order that bars agencies from issuing RIF notices tied to the shutdown and pauses implementation of notices sent last week.
- AFGE and AFSCME brought the case alleging unlawful, politically motivated firings, and Illston said the evidence points to actions exceeding authority with a human cost that cannot be tolerated.
- OMB documents and union accounts indicate more than 4,100 employees were already targeted across at least eight agencies, and budget director Russell Vought said cuts could ultimately top 10,000.
- The Education Department was a key flashpoint, with reports of hundreds of job cuts and claims that the Office of Special Education lost nearly all non‑leadership staff overseeing IDEA compliance.
- The administration defended its downsizing strategy during the shutdown and signaled continued planning and possible appeals as the congressional funding standoff persists.