Judge Blocks Rubio’s Plan to Lay Off 2,000 State Department Employees

A federal judge in San Francisco has temporarily prevented Secretary of State Marco Rubio from laying off almost 2,000 U.S.-based State Department employees, applying her May injunction that previously blocked what she called an “unprecedented” reduction of the federal workforce without Congressional authorisation.

Why did the judge respond?

Prior federal court injunction: Signed by U.S. District Judge Susan Illston in May, it prevented mass firings driven by executive action without due Congressional approval. While Rubio announced his plan in April, it referenced Trump’s February executive order and thus fell under the injunction.

Court’s position: Illston provided the clear message that any plan that was implemented as a result of the previous Trump administration’s direction is prohibited unless approved or permitted by Congress.

Who is impacted?

The plan anticipated eliminating roughly 2,000 of nearly 18,730 U.S.-based employees, approximately 15% of the workforce, plus an additional cut of more than 300 bureaus and offices. The State Department set July 1 as the target date to finalise the reorganisation plan.

The American Foreign Service Association cautioned that these cuts could hamper diplomacy by putting more strain on the already “under-resourced” workforce

What happens next?

Supreme Court Appeals – The Trump administration has taken Illston’s May ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court, seeking to overturn the injunction.

Further Court Review – Illston has instructed the Department of State to seek her consultation before continuing if there is any doubt whether subsequent actions would fall within the injunction.