Zoe Tillman
@zoetillman.bsky.social
120K followers 38 following 500 posts
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zoetillman.bsky.social
Update on RIFs: In response to the federal worker unions' renewed bid for emergency intervention as noticed go out to thousands of employees, the judge moved up next week's hearing but no immediate action
zoetillman.bsky.social
Marathon hearing just ended on Kilmar Abrego Garcia's bid to be released -- lot of skeptical Qs from the MD judge about govt's args that it has legit grounds to keep detaining him, given recent unsuccessful outreach to African nations despite Abrego Garcia saying he'd go to Costa Rica. Ruling TBD
zoetillman.bsky.social
NOW: Unions representing hundreds of thousands of federal workers have asked a judge to immediately halt mass layoffs that the White House announced on Friday amid the government shutdown. Seeking emergency action ahead of Oct. 16 hearing
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
zoetillman.bsky.social
NEW: The White House says it is making good on threats to fire thousands of federal workers amid a government shutdown: buff.ly/wgQdZk1

Announcement comes hours before a judge's deadline for DOJ to submit info on the status of layoffs, previously: buff.ly/kDrhgP6
zoetillman.bsky.social
New: A US judge entered a 14-day order restricting when federal agents can use physical force and make arrests during Chicago-area protests against the Trump administration’s ramped up immigration enforcement, in response to claims of unlawful tactics and free speech violations
buff.ly/N0Z0LLl
zoetillman.bsky.social
"The court is required to continue its constitutional functions"

US judges so far have rejected the Justice Department’s requests to delay more than a dozen legal challenges to Trump administration policies as the government shutdown enters its second week:
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
zoetillman.bsky.social
A federal judge in San Francisco set a hearing for 10/16 on whether to temporarily halt any Trump administration efforts to carry out mass layoffs during the government shutdown. She's also ordered DOJ to submit a report on Friday explaining what's going on.

Prev: buff.ly/kDrhgP6
zoetillman.bsky.social
"I’m asking you really basic questions"

US judge handling Kilmar Abrego Garcia's civil case repeatedly expressed frustration today that she couldn't get concrete info from DOJ lawyers about what the Trump admin has done re: the apparent plan to send him to Eswatini www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
DOJ Can’t Delay Abrego Garcia Deportation Case During Shutdown
A federal judge in Maryland denied the Justice Department’s request to pause Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s deportation fight during the government shutdown.
www.bloomberg.com
zoetillman.bsky.social
A Maryland federal judge denied DOJ's request to pause Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s deportation fight during the government shutdown, citing “important fundamental questions” at stake. Next hearing Friday on his bid for release while he fights being sent to Eswatini:
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-10-06/doj-can-t-delay-abrego-garcia-deportation-case-during-shutdown?utm_medium=email&utm_source=author_alert&utm_term=251006&utm_campaign=author_22946324
www.bloomberg.com
zoetillman.bsky.social
Overnight: Unions representing hundreds of thousands of federal workers asked a US judge to immediately prevent the Trump administration from carrying out mass firings during the government shutdown while they press a legal challenge
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-10-05/federal-worker-unions-ask-to-preemptively-block-shutdown-layoffs?utm_medium=email&utm_source=author_alert&utm_term=251005&utm_campaign=author_22946324
www.bloomberg.com
zoetillman.bsky.social
The largest federal employees union filed a lawsuit accusing the Department of Education of violating the First Amendment by inserting partisan language into the out-of-office emails sent from accounts of furloughed workers during the government shutdown
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
zoetillman.bsky.social
Day 3 of the government shutdown and judges continue to be mixed on DOJ's requests to pause legal fights. Notable recent denials in the DC National Guard deployment case (see: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...) and pre-shutdown federal worker layoff cases in RI and CA
zoetillman.bsky.social
Trump and White House budget office director Russell Vought have been floating the idea of federal layoffs during the shutdown:
- what's happened so far
- the laws and regulations at issue
- the brewing court fight from opponents who argue there's no legal authority for it
buff.ly/muCINpM
Why a Legal Fight Is Brewing Over Shutdown Layoffs
President Donald Trump is exploring options to turn the federal shutdown that began on Oct. 1 into an opportunity to shrink the government workforce. The White House budget office, led by Russell…
www.bloomberg.com
zoetillman.bsky.social
Up to 50+ court cases over Trump admin policies where DOJ has sought shutdown-related pauses or extensions. Some were quickly granted if unopposed or halted via district-wide orders (like in DC) but there's also pushback in some immigration, funding cases www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Trump Policy Fights Face Court Delays With Government Shutdown
High-profile legal fights challenging Trump administration policies are being paused amid the US government funding impasse.
www.bloomberg.com
zoetillman.bsky.social
Latest shutdown docket action of note: DOJ has asked to pause or at least extend some upcoming deadlines in the court fight over Trump's deployment of National Guard troops in DC. DC AG's office opposes the request
assets.bwbx.io/documents/us...
zoetillman.bsky.social
Shutdown update: DOJ requests to delay/extend deadlines in court fights over Trump administration policies and actions have been hitting the docket all day -- a few are opposed, incl. in Kilmer Abrego Garcia's civil suit fighting deportation
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
zoetillman.bsky.social
Shutdown fallout: Court fights over Trump policies are being paused amid the government funding impasse.

DOJ is seeking delays across civil cases; in DC, the chief judge entered a blanket pause order, though cases involving requests for immediate judicial intervention are excluded
buff.ly/rKraJve
zoetillman.bsky.social
The US Supreme Court refused to let Trump immediately oust Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook while she sues to keep her job, dealing a setback to his efforts to exert more control over the central bank. The justices deferred taking action, saying they'll hear arguments in January.
buff.ly/T6ZMXpS
zoetillman.bsky.social
Federal worker unions are suing over what they contend are the Trump administration’s unlawful threats of mass firings if the Republicans and Democrats in Congress can’t reach a budget deal by midnight, forcing the US government to a shut down www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
zoetillman.bsky.social
A US citizen alleges he was improperly arrested and detained twice by immigration officers as they targeted Latino workers at Alabama construction sites, claims they initially rebuffed his offers to prove legal status -- new proposed class action in federal court buff.ly/LVwQRIm
zoetillman.bsky.social
How the US Supreme Court will let the Trump administration withhold $4 billion in congressionally approved foreign assistance funding poised to expire at the end of the month -- and how the legal fight is expected to press on over billions more at issue
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Supreme Court Lets Trump Keep Freeze on Expiring Foreign Aid
The US Supreme Court will let the Trump administration withhold $4 billion in congressionally approved foreign assistance funding poised to expire at the end of the month.
www.bloomberg.com
zoetillman.bsky.social
New case accuses Trump admin of unlawfully making immigration arrests in DC w/out "individualized determinations" and targeting Latinos, incl. alleged incident where agents ignored man's protests that he had "papers" buff.ly/pmK2cOh
zoetillman.bsky.social
A bipartisan group of former Treasury secretaries, Federal Reserve chairs and other experts urged the US Supreme Court not to let President Donald Trump fire Fed Governor Lisa Cook (at least not for now), arguing that the health of the economy is at stake
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Ex-Fed, Treasury Officials Back Cook in Supreme Court Job Fight
A bipartisan group of former Treasury secretaries, Federal Reserve chairs and other experts urged the US Supreme Court not to let President Donald Trump fire Fed Governor Lisa Cook, arguing that the…
www.bloomberg.com
zoetillman.bsky.social
More:
- DOJ asks SCOTUS to once again consider a fight over the Trump admin's move to end legal protections for 300K+ Venezuelans, accusing lower courts of failing to give enough weight to what the justices did the first time this case reached them assets.bwbx.io/documents/us...