The U.S. Supreme Court has granted the Trump administration permission to proceed with sweeping layoffs across the federal government, lifting a lower court injunction and allowing an executive order issued in February to take effect. The unsigned order, issued Tuesday in an 8–1 decision, clears the way for agencies to begin implementing “reductions in force” (RIFs) affecting tens of thousands of federal employees.
I’m about as concerned as one can get about efforts to unlawful efforts to dismantle federal agencies. But a lot of the coverage of today’s Supreme Court decision is, in my mind, seriously overstating its significance.
www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/24p…
— Scott R. Anderson (@sranderson.bsky.social) July 8, 2025 at 11:15 PM
The high court emphasized that it was not ruling on the legality of specific agency actions, but rather allowing the administration to enforce its executive directive while litigation continues. The decision lifts a nationwide block imposed in May by U.S. District Judge Susan Illston, who ruled the administration had likely overstepped its authority by bypassing Congress in its attempt to reshape the federal workforce.
Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson issued the lone dissent, sharply criticizing her colleagues for enabling what she called a “wrecking ball” approach to federal governance. In a 15-page opinion, Jackson argued that the majority ignored foundational principles of judicial restraint, including deference to a trial court’s fact-finding. She said the ruling effectively sanctioned executive overreach, warning, “Our system does not allow the President to rewrite laws on his own under the guise of that authority.”
Another horrifying Supreme Court decision…
Supreme Court allows Trump to resume mass federal layoffs for now..
www.npr.org/2025/07/08/n…
— Fighting Liberal Texas Dem
Congress Switchboard 202-224-3121 (@fightingliberal.bsky.social) July 8, 2025 at 10:01 PM
The administration celebrated the ruling as a win. A White House spokesperson described it as “another definitive victory” and a rebuke to “leftist judges who are trying to prevent the President from achieving government efficiency.”
This is exactly what Mitch McConnell, the Heritage Foundation and the Federalist Society wanted when they stole Obama’s Supreme Court nomination and then rammed through Barrett
A SCOTUS that would ignore established precedent and rewrite as much jurisprudence as conservatives could think of
— Adam Cohen (My Personal Views Only) (@axidentaliberal.bsky.social) July 8, 2025 at 8:59 PM
The layoffs, which had been paused under Judge Illston’s injunction, affect at least 21 major federal agencies, including the Departments of State, Treasury, Transportation, and Veterans Affairs, along with the Social Security Administration. The executive order was issued as part of a broader federal cost-cutting effort overseen by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)—a controversial initiative reportedly influenced by tech entrepreneur Elon Musk.
The layoffs already underway include more than 20,000 probationary employees let go earlier this year. A separate Supreme Court decision in April allowed those firings to proceed, rejecting challenges on the grounds that the plaintiffs lacked standing.
Supreme Court once again rules that the law does not apply to anything President Trump wants to do – how many times do we need to say this? – but of course reserves option of applying the law if there’s ever a Dem president again
www.nytimes.com/2025/07/08/u…
— Abu Aardvark’s Ghost (@abuaardvark.bsky.social) July 8, 2025 at 7:12 PM
The current order does not resolve litigation over proposed staff reductions at the Department of Education. A separate injunction issued in May by Judge Myong Joun blocked over 1,300 planned layoffs at the agency, arguing they would “cripple” its core functions, including support for special education and civil rights enforcement in schools. That case remains pending before the Court.
The thing to understand is that district court judges have to follow the law and Supreme Court Justices get to just make up the law.
— Chris Hayes (@chrislhayes.bsky.social) July 8, 2025 at 5:23 PM
Federal employee unions and local governments that sued over the layoffs argue that the executive order violates constitutional separation of powers. They maintain that mass reorganizations of government functions without congressional authorization are unlawful. A coalition of plaintiffs released a statement Tuesday reiterating their position: “This decision does not change the simple and clear fact that reorganizing government functions and laying off federal workers en masse haphazardly without any congressional approval is not allowed by our Constitution.”
Today’s Supreme Court ruling was about procedure, not whether Trump’s layoffs are constitutional. But 7 of 8 justices chose to let Trump terrorize federal employees. They let him ransack agencies staffed with valued experts. The Court is allowing the country’s descent into Trump’s fascist fantasy.
— Naotoshi Maeda (@naotoshimaeda.bsky.social) July 8, 2025 at 6:00 PM
Despite pending litigation, the Court’s ruling marks a major procedural victory for the Trump administration’s federal workforce overhaul. It also reflects the Supreme Court’s growing pattern of granting emergency relief to the executive branch in high-impact administrative disputes.
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Author: Mark Stevens
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