Federal judge halts Trump's massive health department cuts
Washington DC - A federal judge on Tuesday ruled that massive cuts to the Department of Health and Human Services by President Donald Trump and Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. are likely to be unlawful.
US District Judge Melissa DuBose issued a ruling on Tuesday that declared HHS cuts "arbitrary and capricious as well as contrary to the law" and blocked the finalization of layoffs at the department.
DuBose said that the case, brought forward by 19 states and the District of Columbia, shows "a likelihood of success" and demonstrates "irreparable harm" resulting from the Trump administration cuts.
In the ruling, DuBose points to issues with the separation of powers between the executive and legislative branches of government, as well as concerns over how 10,000 HHS employees were terminated on March 27, 2025.
"The Executive Branch is vested with the power and is imbued with the responsibility to faithfully execute the laws which govern the governance structure of our country," the ruling states.
"The Executive Branch does not have the authority to order, organize, or implement wholesale changes to the structure and function of the agencies created by Congress."
HHS firings effectively on pause after federal judge's ruling
As a result of the ruling, DuBose granted the attorneys general of the suing states a preliminary injunction, effectively issuing a pause on all firings until court proceedings have been finalized.
DuBose further slammed the Trump administration's cuts, explaining that "Critical public health services have been interrupted, databases taken offline, status of grants thrown into chaos, technical assistance services gone, and training and consultation services curtailed."
"HHS has failed to produce a shred of evidence that services to States and access to critical information would continue uninterrupted, that the harms are minimal or not irreparable, or that it is authorized to act absent Congressional action."
Cover photo: AFP/Jim Watson