Trump administration asks Supreme Court to let it move forward with mass layoffs of federal workforce

Washington — President Trump's administration asked the Supreme Court on Monday to allow it to move forward with its plans to lay off thousands of federal workers at nearly two dozen agencies while a legal battle over the president's plans to drastically cut the size of the government moves forward.

The Justice Department's request for emergency relief is the second in which it has asked the Supreme Court to intervene in the ongoing dispute over its efforts to execute reductions-in-force, or layoffs, across the executive branch. The administration initially asked the Supreme Court to halt a two-week temporary restraining order issued by U.S. District Judge Susan Illston, but withdrew its request after she granted longer relief last month.

That preliminary injunction issued by Illston prevented the Trump administration from implementing planned reductions-in-force, placing employees on administrative leave and proceeding with job cuts that are already in motion.