A federal judge ruled Thursday that the Trump administration can continue its mass firings of federal employees, dealing a legal blow to labor unions seeking to block the sweeping cuts. U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper in Washington, D.C., dismissed a lawsuit brought by multiple federal worker unions, ruling that their claims must be pursued through the Federal Labor Relations Authority rather than the courts.
The decision is a significant victory for President Donald Trump, who has made overhauling the federal workforce a priority in his second term. His administration has aggressively pursued job cuts through the newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Tesla CEO Elon Musk. Since taking office in January, Trump has ordered agencies to coordinate with DOGE to identify employees for termination, primarily targeting probationary workers with fewer legal protections.
More than 75,000 federal employees have already accepted voluntary buyouts, according to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, representing approximately 3% of the total federal workforce. Meanwhile, thousands of additional termination notices have been sent across agencies including the Department of Education, the Small Business Administration, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
The lawsuit was brought by the National Treasury Employees Union, the National Federation of Federal Employees, and three other unions, who argued that Trump's actions violate congressional authority over federal agency funding and workforce management. The unions claimed they would suffer irreparable harm due to lost revenue from dues-paying members who were either fired or took buyouts.
Cooper, however, ruled that the court lacks jurisdiction to hear the case, directing the unions to take their complaints to the federal labor board. A similar case in Boston also failed to block the administration's efforts, with a judge ruling earlier this month that unions lacked legal standing because they could not demonstrate direct harm from the buyout program.
The White House has defended the mass layoffs as necessary to eliminate inefficiencies and curb wasteful spending. The administration has characterized federal agencies as bloated and resistant to change, with Musk's DOGE initiative tasked with slashing costs and streamlining operations. Critics, however, argue that the firings undermine critical government functions, including public health, aviation safety, and financial regulation.
Republicans have largely supported the initiative, arguing that reducing the size of the federal workforce is essential to curbing government overreach. "This administration is doing what past presidents failed to do-getting rid of the bureaucratic dead weight that has slowed down government for decades," a senior administration official said.
More than 70 lawsuits have been filed challenging Trump's broader efforts to reshape federal policies, including workforce reductions, immigration restrictions, and limits on transgender rights. While some of these legal battles have successfully blocked key initiatives, Thursday's ruling paves the way for continued downsizing of the federal workforce.
