In a significant development, the Supreme Court has cleared the way for President Donald Trump to proceed with sweeping layoffs across multiple federal agencies — a move that could significantly reshape the government workforce for years to come.
On Tuesday, the court lifted a lower court’s block on Trump’s plan to slash tens of thousands of federal jobs, arguing the previous rulings focused too broadly on the administration’s general strategy rather than specific “reduction in force” (RIF) plans at each agency. The unsigned order didn’t disclose how each justice voted, but Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson issued a scathing dissent, warning that the decision effectively hands the White House a “wrecking ball” to dismantle agencies Congress created by law.
The plan stems from an executive order Trump signed in February, fulfilling a campaign promise to shrink the federal bureaucracy dramatically. Proposed cuts are significant: the Department of Veterans Affairs alone planned initially to eliminate 80,000 jobs, though it recently scaled that back to 30,000 through retirements and attrition. The IRS could see its workforce reduced by 40%. Other agencies targeted include the CDC, FDA, NIH, Agriculture, Commerce, Energy, Labor, and the EPA.
Unions, non-profits, and local governments challenging the layoffs warn the cuts could cripple services millions rely on — from health care oversight to tax returns. The White House, meanwhile, celebrated the ruling as a “victory for government efficiency.”
While the decision gives Trump the green light for now, the court left the door open to future challenges if specific cuts violate laws requiring agencies to maintain basic functions. Expect more legal battles ahead as the administration moves to implement its plans — and as critics fight to stop what they call reckless downsizing of essential services.