U.S. judge temporarily blocks mass firings at consumer bureau

U.S. judge temporarily blocks mass firings at consumer bureau


The US Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) headquarters in Washington, DC, US, on Sunday, Feb. 2, 2025. 

Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images

A federal judge on Friday halted the mass firings carried out Thursday afternoon at the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, saying she was deeply concerned that the Trump administration had violated
court orders setting conditions on dismissals.

On Thursday, the agency fired between 1,400 and 1,500 workers, eliminating as much as 90% of its workforce.

A witness statement filed Friday morning also accused senior officials and an administration official associated with billionaire Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency of disregarding the court’s orders. The witness said a DOGE member also demanded staff work a 36-hour shift without breaks and
verbally abused staff.

An appeals court last week ordered that firings at the CFPB could only occur after a “particularized assessment.

“Mark Paoletta, the CFPB’s chief legal officer, said in a sworn statement that the agency had followed court orders and had conducted a detailed assessment of staffing needs. This evaluation found that the agency’s resources significantly exceeded both its needs and legal authorities, he said.

The White House and CFPB did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

President Donald Trump and Musk have called to abolish the agency, accusing it without providing evidence of politicized enforcement and waste, but administration officials have said in court the CFPB will persist in some form.

“I am deeply concerned given the scope and speed of the agency’s action…about whether the agency is now in compliance with the preliminary injunction,” U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson said during a hearing called after Thursday’s dismissals.

Jackson ordered that Thursday’s mass dismissals be suspended pending a decision on whether the government is in violation of her order. She said CFPB employees would not lose access to computer systems on Friday evening, as agency leadership had told them in Thursday’s notices of dismissal.



Source

Epstein files released to Congress are mostly ‘recycled’ documents, Democrat says
Politics

Epstein files released to Congress are mostly ‘recycled’ documents, Democrat says

Rep. Summer Lee, D-Pa., participates in a subcommittee hearing of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., July 23, 2025. Jonathan Ernst | Reuters Rep. Summer Lee, D-Pa., in a statement on Saturday criticized the release of the first trove of documents related to the late convicted sex offender […]

Read More
Trump administration considering deporting Kilmar Abrego Garcia to Uganda, his lawyers say
Politics

Trump administration considering deporting Kilmar Abrego Garcia to Uganda, his lawyers say

Kilmar Abrego Garcia walks, as he has been released from the Putnam County Jail in Cookville, Tennessee, U.S., August 22, 2025. Seth Herald | Reuters U.S. immigration officials have notified Kilmar Abrego Garcia of their intent to deport him to Uganda, his attorneys said in a Saturday filing that accuses the government of pressuring Abrego Garcia to […]

Read More
Troop costs, China in focus when South Korea’s Lee meets Trump
Politics

Troop costs, China in focus when South Korea’s Lee meets Trump

The U.S. and South Korean flag against the backdrop of a building. Chris Putnam | Future Publishing | Getty Images When South Korean President Lee Jae Myung meets U.S. President Donald Trump next week for their first summit, he will be asked to pay more for the upkeep of American troops on the peninsula during […]

Read More