The U.S. Supreme Court has unlocked the doors for President Donald Trump’s aggressive campaign to slash the federal workforce, clearing a path for mass layoffs that could radically alter the shape of the American government.
In a terse, unsigned order, the justices set aside a lower court ruling that had temporarily blocked the Trump administration’s downsizing directive, signaling the president is likely acting within his constitutional authority. The order allows federal agencies to proceed with deep staffing cuts, though individual plans may still face legal battles ahead.
Trump’s February executive order had directed every federal agency—from Agriculture to Treasury to Veterans Affairs—to prepare for large-scale layoffs as part of what he calls a “war on waste.” His administration quickly followed up with plans for unprecedented personnel reductions across nearly two dozen departments.
The ruling marks yet another Supreme Court win for Trump since his return to office in January, continuing a pattern of emergency orders backing his controversial policy shifts—from hardline immigration rules to reinstating his military transgender ban.
While the court emphasized it was not validating any specific agency plan, its decision dismantles a critical barrier: a May ruling by Judge Susan Illston that had temporarily paused the layoff campaign. Illston argued the president had overreached by attempting to dismantle agencies without Congress’s involvement. “Only Congress can grant the authority to restructure the government on this scale,” she had written.
But the justices—eight of them, at least—disagreed.
The White House wasted no time calling the decision a “definitive victory” that confirms Trump’s authority to bring what it calls “efficiency and accountability” to a bloated federal system. However, two insiders cautioned that despite the greenlight, layoffs won’t happen overnight. Additional legal challenges and administrative delays are expected to slow the implementation.
Opponents, including labor unions and local governments, condemned the ruling as a dangerous blow to democratic governance. They warn of catastrophic disruption to public services and the potential loss of hundreds of thousands of jobs. “This ruling puts essential services—healthcare, veterans’ benefits, food safety—in immediate jeopardy,” one advocacy group said.
The scope of Trump’s reshaping effort is staggering. Since his inauguration, nearly 260,000 federal employees have either been dismissed, pushed into early retirement, or resigned under pressure. That figure, compiled by Reuters, reflects just the beginning.
At the center of the effort is the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, spearheaded by tech billionaire Elon Musk. Musk and a cadre of young appointees moved quickly, taking over agencies, firing top staffers, and reportedly shutting down both USAID and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau within weeks.
Agencies are now moving to resume their stalled downsizing plans. The State Department, which proposed eliminating nearly 2,000 jobs, declared on X that it is back on track.
But turbulence lies ahead. Each layoff plan must navigate union resistance, statutory protections, and civil service laws designed to shield federal employees from political purges.
Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson stood alone in dissent, calling out the majority’s “eagerness to rubber-stamp the president’s legally questionable actions.” She decried the court’s increasing reliance on emergency orders—decisions made outside full public briefing and argument, often dubbed the “shadow docket.”
That docket has been especially busy in Trump’s favor. In the past six months alone, the Supreme Court has allowed him to expedite deportations, dismantle humanitarian immigration protections, block rehiring orders for fired federal workers, and curb judges’ ability to halt presidential directives nationwide.
With Tuesday’s ruling, Trump’s hand grows even stronger as he presses forward with one of the most sweeping governmental overhauls in modern U.S. history—one that may redefine the very structure of federal power.
