US judge orders rehiring of laid-off workers during shutdown
Judge Susan Illston of the US District Court for the Northern District of California emphasized that a law signed by President Donald Trump last month prohibits reductions in force (RIFs).
She set a compliance deadline of next Tuesday for the administration, allowing time for the Justice Department to file an appeal if it chooses.
During the six-week shutdown, Trump asserted that he could terminate workers outright, rather than merely furlough them as has been standard practice during prior shutdowns. Labor unions and Democratic lawmakers argued that using the shutdown as a reason to fire federal employees was unlawful.
Illston also rejected the State Department’s claim that some layoffs began prior to the shutdown, which started on October 1 and lasted 43 days. She ruled that the continuing resolution passed by Congress to reopen the government broadly prohibits reductions in force, regardless of when they began.
Everett Kelley, head of the American Federation for Government Employees, hailed the decision as “another victory” for federal workers and the rule of law. “The administration’s continued defiance of that mandate is part of a troubling pattern of egregious actions against federal employees and the American public,” he said.
The shutdown arose after Congress failed to reach an agreement on health care subsidies, and in its aftermath, the Trump administration issued thousands of RIF notices and reduced funding to multiple agencies and organizations, as stated by reports.
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