A judge rules that the Trump administration failed to offer proper explanation or justification for planned RIFs
An appellate court has maintained a ban on layoffs at federal agencies, siding against the Trump administration. On May 9, a federal judge temporarily halted planned reduction in forces (RIF) before a new wave of layoffs hit federal departments like the U.S. Department of the Interior, which included wildlife professionals working with the U.S. Geological Survey. Federal lawyers immediately appealed the court decision, but the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled in favor of upholding the ban on further RIFs. “Defendants have yet to offer any evidence pointing to any explanation or justification for these sweeping RIFs beyond a general and undifferentiated desire for a reduction in the number of people on the government’s payroll,” Judge William Fletcher said.
