Shortly after taking office, President Donald Trump tasked Elon Musk with using the Department of Government Efficiency to reduce spending.

However, Musk's work was thrown into turmoil last week when a federal judge issued a temporary injunction. 

Plaintiffs says government restructuring attempts are "unlawful"

According to Fox News, U.S. District Judge Susan Illston placed a two-week pause on a restructuring plan which would eliminate tens of thousands of government positions.

Illston's order came in response to a lawsuit which was filed late last month by a group of federal employee unions who argue that the proposed force reductions require congressional approval.

Fox News quoted a statement from the plaintiffs which slammed what they see as an "unlawful attempt to reorganize the federal government" which "has thrown agencies into chaos, disrupting critical services provided across our nation."

"Each of us represents communities deeply invested in the efficiency of the federal government – laying off federal employees and reorganizing government functions haphazardly does not achieve that," the statement added.

Judge says president must seek "cooperation of the legislative branch"

Illston agreed with that reasoning, saying, "The President has the authority to seek changes to executive branch agencies, but he must do so in lawful ways and, in the case of large-scale reorganizations, with the cooperation of the legislative branch."

She pointed out how "[m]any presidents have sought this cooperation before; many iterations of Congress have provided it."

"Nothing prevents the President from requesting this cooperation—as he did in his prior term of office," the Clinton appointee continued.

"Indeed, the Court holds the President likely must request Congressional cooperation to order the changes he seeks, and thus issues a temporary restraining order to pause large-scale reductions in force in the meantime," she declared.

"The Court here is not considering the potential loss of income of one individual employee, but the widespread termination of salaries and benefits for individuals, families, and communities," the judge went on to declare.

White House points to historical precedent in defending plans

CBS News noted that the Trump administration submitted legal filings which cited historical precedent in defense of its plans.

A judge temporarily barred the Trump administration from carrying out sweeping cuts and layoffs at over a dozen government agencies late Friday, part of a massive federal cost-cutting drive led by Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency. https://t.co/lDAb0hKiBe

— CBS News (@CBSNews) May 10, 2025

"Congress has expressly authorized federal agencies to engage in [reductions-in-force] and has done so for nearly 150 years," it argued.