In a significant legal development, a federal judge in San Francisco has temporarily halted the Trump administration’s plans to dismiss employees during the ongoing government shutdown. The decision came on Wednesday, as the judge highlighted concerns that these layoffs seemed politically motivated and lacked thorough consideration.

The case was overseen by U.S. District Judge Susan Illston, who expressed skepticism towards the assistant U.S. attorney’s explanation concerning the rationale behind issuing over 4,100 layoff notices since Friday. Judge Illston noted the impracticality of the situation, as furloughed workers are currently unable to access their work emails or receive guidance from human resources specialists.

“Many of these actions seem to be executed without proper planning, and they impose intolerable human costs,” Judge Illston commented, emphasizing the need for more thoughtful policy execution.

In response to the situation, Judge Illston issued a temporary restraining order to prevent the job cuts. She indicated that the evidence presented would likely demonstrate that these layoffs were conducted illegally and exceeded the administration’s authority.

The legal challenge was spearheaded by the American Federation of Government Employees alongside other federal labor unions. They argued that the layoffs were an abuse of power, intending to exert pressure on Congress by punishing workers, and sought judicial intervention to stop the administration from issuing further layoff notices and implementing those already underway.

“The president seems to think his government shutdown is distracting people from the harmful and lawlessness actions of his administration, but the American people are holding him accountable, including in the courts,” said Skye Perryman, president and CEO of legal organization Democracy Forward. “Our civil servants do the work of the people, and playing games with their livelihoods is cruel and unlawful and a threat to everyone in our nation.”

Illston’s order came as the shutdown, which started Oct. 1, entered its third week.

Democratic lawmakers are demanding that any deal to reopen the federal government address their health care demands. Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson predicted the shutdown may become the longest in history, saying he “won’t negotiate” with Democrats until they hit pause on those demands and reopen.

Democrats have demanded that health care subsidies, first put in place in 2021 and extended a year later, be extended again. They also want any government funding bill to reverse the Medicaid cuts in Trump’s big tax breaks and spending cuts bill passed this summer.

The Trump administration has been paying the military and pursuing its crackdown on immigration while slashing jobs in health and education, including in special education and after-school programs. Trump said programs favored by Democrats are being targeted and “they’re never going to come back, in many cases.”

In a court filing, the administration said it planned to fire more than 4,100 employees across eight agencies.

In a related case, Illston had blocked the administration from carrying out much of its plans to reduce the size of the federal workforce. But the Supreme Court said the administration could continue firing workers while the lawsuit is pending.

The unions say the layoff notices are an illegal attempt at political pressure and retribution and are based on the false premise that a temporary funding lapse eliminates Congress’ authorization of agency programs.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Hedges said in court Wednesday that the district court lacks jurisdiction to hear employment decisions made by federal agencies. Under prodding by the judge, Hedges said she was not prepared to discuss the merits of the case, only reasons why a temporary restraining order should not be issued.

Illston was nominated to the bench by former President Bill Clinton, a Democrat.

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