Federal Judge Rules in Favor of Harris County, Temporarily Blocks Trump Administration’s Federal Layoffs
Houston, TX – Harris County Attorney Christian D. Menefee announced today that a federal judge has temporarily blocked the Trump administration from carrying out a sweeping executive order that would have enabled mass layoffs of federal workers and the elimination of entire government offices.
“This is a big win for Harris County and communities across the country that rely on the federal government to function,” said Menefee. “It’s a win for residents, for federal workers, and for anyone who believes government should work for the people—not be torn apart by President Trump’s overreach.”
The ruling halts implementation of President Trump’s Executive Order 14210, which sought to dramatically restructure the federal government without congressional approval. The judge’s order puts a two-week pause on all new or existing layoff notices under the order, describing the effort as likely unlawful and potentially unconstitutional.
Harris County alongside other local governments, labor unions representing federal employees, and nonprofits filed the lawsuit last month, calling President Trump’s executive order a blatant attempt to dismantle the federal government by fiat.
The court found that Harris County and the other plaintiffs are likely to succeed on at least some of their claims and emphasized that “unchecked presidential power is not what the Framers had in mind.”
“President Trump would have Harris County residents stuck with slower Social Security services, longer VA wait times, slower disaster response, and the loss of federal grants that fund food safety and emergency preparedness,” Menefee said. “We filed this lawsuit to stop him.”
The order halts the administration’s actions for two weeks, blocking new and existing layoff notices while the case moves forward—and underscores that the White House cannot bypass Congress and existing federal law to push through mass terminations. Additionally legal fights over this order are expected in the coming weeks.
“We’re trying to stop Trump from running amok in the federal government and hanging Harris County and many other communities out to dry,” Menefee added. “We plan to see this lawsuit through until the end.”