Democracy Forward President & CEO Skye Perryman: “With every move this President is making, we are holding him accountable in court, and seeing judges of all stripes recognize and defend the rule of law.”

Washington, D.C. – Late last night, Democracy Forward and our partners won a preliminary injunction in our case challenging the Trump-Vance administration’s unlawful reorganization of the federal government. This is the largest and most significant challenge to date to the President’s authority to remake the government without congressional approval.

The court’s finding is another in the recent series of decisions crystalizing the limits to the administration’s executive authority. The Trump administration’s unlawful reorganization of the federal government, which is already underway without legislative authority, violates the Constitution’s fundamental separation of powers principles.

Read the original filing here and the preliminary injunction issued yesterday here.

See Coverage Below:

The Washington Post: Judge Extends Order Blocking Trump’s Mass Federal Worker Layoffs

A federal judge has extended her freeze on President Donald Trump’s plan for mass layoffs and reorganizations at 22 federal agencies until a lawsuit against his administration is resolved, saying the president “likely must” seek approval from Congress before carrying out such widespread changes.

Skye Perryman, President and CEO of Democracy Forward, which is lead co-counsel on the case representing the plaintiffs, said in a statement that the Trump administration’s “recklessness” is leading to real-life consequences for Americans.

“With every move this President is making, we are holding him accountable in court, and seeing judges of all stripes recognize and defend the rule of law. I am immensely proud of our team and our plaintiffs for their steadfast commitment to the nonpartisan civil service — which works for all Americans — and to the vital services they provide,” she said.

The New York Times: Judge Extends Order Blocking Trump’s Planned Mass Layoffs

A judge handed workers across a broad swath of the federal government a reprieve on Thursday night, extending her pause on President Trump’s plans for vast layoffs until a case challenging them is resolved.

The unions and organizations behind the lawsuit argue that the president is not following the process Congress established for the federal government to reorganize itself. They say he does not have the authority to make such decisions on his own.

“The recklessness of this administration is having real-world consequences for every American, in red states and blue states, in towns small and large,” said Skye Perryman, the president and chief executive of the legal group Democracy Forward, which is a lead counsel for the plaintiffs in the lawsuit.

CNN: Judge Extends Block on Trump’s Mass Layoffs at Several Agencies

The latest ruling from Senior Judge Susan Illston in San Francisco also goes further than the temporary restraining order because she is ordering the reinstatement of employees on administrative leave, although, she has paused that aspect of her order so it can be appealed.

The case is a major roadblock in the president’s efforts to drastically shrink the federal bureaucracy. Tens of thousands of federal employees have been placed on administrative leave under the actions challenged in the lawsuit, but those terminations will not be finalized while IIlston’s order is in effect. The latest order will likely jumpstart the appellate battle over Trump’s power to, without Congress’s authorization, gut the workforces of agencies across the government.

“With every move this President is making, we are holding him accountable in court, and seeing judges of all stripes recognize and defend the rule of law,” said Skye Perryman, President & CEO of lead co-counsel Democracy Forward.

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Democracy Forward is a national legal organization that advances democracy and social progress through litigation, policy, public education, and regulatory engagement. For more information, please visit www.democracyforward.org.