The Trump administration plans to lay off more than 10,000 employees during the government shutdown, but a federal judge has issued an emergency injunction to stop it.

The US government shutdown enters its third week, with White House budget chief Watt announcing on Wednesday that the Trump administration plans to cut more than 10,000 federal positions permanently during the shutdown in order to "streamline government agencies." Watt stated in an interview at the White House, "We hope to proactively shut down unnecessary bureaucratic agencies as much as possible, rather than just suspending funding. Now is an opportunity, and we will seize it." He revealed that the layoffs may include projects related to the Department of Energy's "Green New Deal," the Environmental Justice Program of the Environmental Protection Agency, the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) under the Department of Commerce, and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). Watt even mentioned that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), where he serves as acting director, plans to shut down "within two to three months." The White House issued layoff notices to about 4,200 federal employees last Friday and warned that this number may continue to rise. Watt bluntly stated that day, "The final number may exceed 10,000 people, and we will continue layoffs during the shutdown." However, Judge Susan Illston of the San Francisco District Court issued a temporary restraining order on Wednesday, temporarily prohibiting the Trump administration from laying off federal employees. She criticized the government for "violating the law." Illston pointed out that the Trump administration "is taking advantage of this extraordinary time of shutdown, assuming that all rules no longer apply," and criticized its weaponization of policies and use of partisan positions as the basis for layoffs. Due to the congressional funding stalemate, many federal employees are currently forced to take unpaid leave or continue working without pay. To appease the military, Trump issued a presidential memorandum that day authorizing Defense Secretary Esper to use remaining congressional funds to pay active duty military salaries. However, against the backdrop of the continuing political deadlock, the Senate's ninth vote on a temporary funding bill failed that day, leaving no solution in sight for ending the government shutdown.