**Federal Appeals Court Blocks Trump's Mass Layoffs Plan**

A federal appeals court delivered a significant blow to President Donald Trump's ambitious plans to drastically reduce the size of the federal government, ruling Friday evening to maintain a hold on mass layoffs across multiple agencies. The administration's request to freeze a lower court's order that halted the terminations at more than a dozen agencies was denied by the US 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.

Trump's sweeping layoff directives, known as reductions in force (RIFs), have been marooned since May 9, when US District Judge Susan Illston ruled that such an extensive overhaul of federal agencies required congressional authorization. The 9th Circuit, in a 2-1 decision, supported this stance, concluding that Trump's executive order “far exceeds the President's supervisory powers under the Constitution.” The majority also noted that challengers to the order were likely to succeed in their arguments, and the administration failed to justify the need for an emergency appellate intervention.

This legal battle is expected to reach the Supreme Court eventually. The White House, through spokesman Harrison Fields, criticized the decision by saying, "A single judge is attempting to unconstitutionally seize the power of hiring and firing from the Executive Branch," and vowed to continue fighting the order.

The case against the executive order was brought forth by federal employees' unions, local governments, and various advocacy groups. These challengers contested the February executive order and related directives from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), arguing they unlawfully dictated the extent of agency layoffs and essentially vetoed less drastic reduction plans proposed by the agencies.

This ruling affects nearly every major Cabinet-level department, including the departments of Defense, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Justice, Interior, Labor, State, and Treasury. The 9th Circuit highlighted that while Congress has empowered agencies to undertake significant layoffs, it did not extend this authority to the President.

Senior Circuit Judge William Fletcher and Circuit Judge Lucy Koh, who were appointed by Presidents Bill Clinton and Joe Biden respectively, formed the majority opinion. They emphasized that the scale of reorganization intended by the executive order has traditionally required Congressional approval. However, Circuit Judge Consuelo María Callahan, appointed by President George W. Bush, dissented, arguing that the President should have the authority to direct agencies and that OMB and OPM could guide these enactments.

The coalition contesting Trump’s directives expressed relief following the appellate court's decision, indicating that the pause on these “harmful actions” will continue as their legal case progresses.