• An appeals court upheld a ruling blocking Trump’s federal workforce downsizing efforts.
• The court's decision is based on questions regarding the legality of the administration's actions.
• Thousands of federal employees have already faced firings and layoffs amid restructuring efforts.

A U.S. appeals court has formally refused to lift a California judge’s order that halts the Trump administration's efforts to downsize the federal workforce, meaning cuts led by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) will remain on pause for the time being. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals' decision comes after a ruling from U.S. Judge Susan Illston, who questioned the legality of the administration's push to shrink the federal workforce without congressional approval, a sentiment echoed throughout the legal proceedings, according to HuffPost and CBS News.

The ruling, which saw a split 2-1 opinion among the judges, emphasized that the Executive Order issued by Trump to initiate “large-scale reductions” in staffing surpassed the constitutional limits placed on presidential authority. Judge William Fletcher remarked that the legally permitted powers of the presidency have been exceeded in this case, according to Reuters and Los Angeles Times.

Judge Illston had previously placed a block on the mass firings and restructuring efforts in light of a lawsuit brought forth by unions and municipalities challenging the president's executive authority, which they argued should be accompanied by Congressional authorization. The administration’s plans included tens of thousands of job cuts, a significant portion stemming from voluntary resignation programs, with reports indicating that at least 75,000 federal employees had already taken such paths, as reported by BBC and HuffPost.

In her ruling, Judge Illston underscored that while presidents have the power to reorganize federal agencies, they must do so with Congressional cooperation. The ruling underscores broader concerns regarding potential impacts on public services, including areas vital to food safety and veterans' health care, highlighting the potential ripple effects from staffing cuts under the proposed downsizing, according to Los Angeles Times and CBS News.