POLITICS NEWS – Supreme Court curbs nationwide injunctions, impacting Federal layoff battles

Ananya Roy, News Writer

In a 6–3 ruling, the Supreme Court held that federal district courts overstep their authority when issuing nationwide injunctions, marking a significant shift in how lower courts can block executive actions. The case, Trump v. CASA, stemmed from an attempt to halt an executive order denying citizenship to children of undocumented immigrants born in the U.S. The Court did not address the constitutionality of the order itself but focused on the scope of judicial power. In her dissent, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson warned the ruling allows the executive branch to violate constitutional rights unless directly challenged, calling it a threat to the rule of law.

The ruling carries implications for ongoing legal battles over mass federal layoffs. The State Department had planned to issue reduction-in-force notices to nearly 2,000 employees, but a district court injunction currently blocks the move. Trump and administration officials have long criticized such injunctions as politically motivated obstacles to executive authority. While the Supreme Court’s decision may prompt courts to reassess the scope of those rulings, legal experts say it is unlikely to immediately lift the existing blocks, especially in cases involving large unions and clearly defined affected groups. Two related cases on federal layoffs and Education Department cuts remain on the Court’s emergency docket.