A federal judge on Wednesday blocked President Trump’s efforts to lay off thousands of federal employees amid the government shutdown, for now.

U.S. District Judge Susan Illston, an appointee of former President Clinton, sided with government employee unions in temporarily barring the administration from carrying out the reductions in force (RIFs) that were expected to impact more than 4,000 workers.

At a hearing Wednesday, Illston said before arguments even began that she believed the plaintiffs would ultimately prevail in demonstrating that the administration’s efforts, which appear to be “politically motivated,” are illegal and exceed its authority.

“The evidence suggests that the Office of Management and Budget, OMB, and the Office of Personnel Management, OPM, have taken advantage

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