The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday lifted a lower court block, effectively giving President Donald Trump the green light to proceed with sweeping plans to downsize the federal workforce.
In an unsigned order, the justices sided with the Trump administration, allowing it to resume preparations for mass firings and agency restructuring efforts that could impact tens of thousands of government employees.
The ruling marks a key legal victory for Trump, who re-entered the White House in January and swiftly launched a reform campaign aimed at reducing the size of the federal government. In February, he signed an executive order directing agencies to eliminate non-essential personnel as part of a “critical transformation of the Federal bureaucracy.” The initiative is being coordinated through the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by tech billionaire Elon Musk.
The executive order had faced stiff opposition from labor unions and advocacy groups, who sued to block its implementation. U.S. District Judge Susan Illston initially halted the layoffs in May, ruling that such broad government restructuring required congressional approval.
But the Supreme Court disagreed, writing that the government was “likely to succeed” in arguing that the executive actions were lawful. However, the court emphasized that its ruling does not weigh in on the legality of specific agency plans, which may still face judicial scrutiny as legal challenges continue.
Justice Sonia Sotomayor, while concurring with the decision to lift the pause, cautioned that courts must still ensure individual plans comply with the law. “We thus have no occasion to consider whether they can and will be carried out consistent with the constraints of law,” she said.
Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson issued a lone dissent, warning that the court was prematurely enabling the President’s agenda.
“For some reason, this Court sees fit to step in now and release the President’s wrecking ball at the outset of this litigation,” Jackson wrote. “Under our Constitution, Congress has the power to establish administrative agencies and detail their functions.”
She added that past presidents who pursued reorganization sought legislative approval first.
Since returning to office, Trump has ordered the dissolution of several government programs, including diversity and equity initiatives, and has moved to shut down USAID, the country’s primary foreign aid agency.
The ruling signals a major turning point in Trump’s second-term effort to reshape the federal government, but further legal and political battles are expected in the months ahead.
