(Bloomberg) — A federal judge ordered the Trump administration to pause plans to fire thousands of federal workers during the government shutdown, just moments after White House Budget Director Russell Vought said he expects layoffs to exceed more than 10,000 people.
The ruling on Wednesday from US District Judge Susan Illston in San Francisco follows layoff notices that have gone out to more than 4,100 federal employees since last week.
The order isn't a final decision on the merits of the case. It means that more than two dozen federal agencies cannot send out new layoff notices if they involve programs that include labor union members who sued. The decision also means the government must halt action on notices that already went out while the judge weighs whether to impose a longer-term block.
More than 4,000 federal workers have so far lost their jobs — a number Vought called "just a snapshot, and I think it'll get much higher."
"I think we'll probably end up being north of 10,000," Vought said before the ruling.
The White House budget office on Tuesday vowed to continue reductions in force — the government's term for layoffs of federal workers. The administration has not detailed which agencies or jobs could be affected in future rounds of layoffs.
"We're going to keep those RIFs rolling throughout this shutdown, because we think it's important to stay on offense for the American taxpayer," Vought told the Charlie Kirk show.
The White House has escalated the standoff with Democrats over federal spending by moving to terminate some federal workers, instead of just furloughing them as the shutdown continues. Republicans say the layoffs are necessary, an assertion that budget experts and Democrats dispute because workers aren't paid during the shutdown.
Democrats have argued that the administration cannot spend resources during a shutdown to fire people because it isn't essential government work.
"We believe that these firings are illegal, violate the law and will be reversed, either congressionally or by the courts," House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries told reporters.
Trump also said he plans to release a list of "Democrat" programs he intends to cut as the shutdown — now in its 15th day — continues.
The White House has seized the federal budget as a tool to make the shutdown as painful as possible for Democrats. Republicans in Congress have largely ceded their power of the purse to the executive branch, allowing Trump to go much further than any other modern president during a shutdown.
The mass firings are broadly unpopular with voters, who continue to hold Trump and Republicans more responsible for the shutdown than Democrats. An Economist/YouGov poll conducted Oct. 10-13 found 54% opposed the layoffs, compared to 29% in support.
Vought also used the interview to criticize the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, where he serves as the acting head. The consumer protection agency, which is the brainchild of Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren, was largely dismantled earlier this year as part of Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency effort.
"This agency, all they want to do is weaponize the tools of financial laws against, basically, small mom and pop lenders and other small financial institutions," Vought said.
