A federal judge on Friday ordered a temporary halt to the sweeping firings at the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), raising serious concerns that the Trump administration had defied court orders governing staff terminations.
Just a day earlier, the CFPB abruptly dismissed between 1,400 and 1,500 employees a staggering move that wiped out up to 90% of its workforce. The mass layoffs triggered immediate alarm over the agency’s adherence to existing judicial mandates.
The situation escalated further on Friday when a witness statement surfaced, accusing top CFPB officials and a senior member of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) an administration unit reportedly tied to Elon Musk of ignoring the court’s directives.
The witness alleged that a DOGE representative forced employees to work grueling 36-hour shifts without breaks, while subjecting them to verbal harassment.
This controversy comes on the heels of a recent appeals court ruling that prohibited blanket firings at the CFPB, requiring instead a “particularized assessment” of individual cases before dismissals could proceed.
In defense of the firings, CFPB Chief Legal Officer Mark Paoletta submitted a sworn statement claiming the agency had complied with the court’s instructions, conducting a detailed review that allegedly revealed the bureau’s staffing far exceeded its operational and legal mandates.
Neither the White House nor the CFPB responded to media inquiries about the mass dismissals by Friday evening.
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President Donald Trump and Elon Musk have both been vocal critics of the CFPB, repeatedly though without evidence accusing the agency of politically motivated investigations and bloated operations. While they’ve expressed interest in dismantling the bureau entirely, administration lawyers have maintained in court filings that the CFPB will continue to exist in a reduced form.
U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson did not mince words during Friday’s emergency hearing. "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," she remarked.
In response, Judge Jackson ordered the immediate suspension of the recent terminations, while the court determines whether the administration violated her order. She also instructed the agency to preserve employees’ access to computer systems through Friday evening, directly contradicting the dismissal notices employees had received.
The legal battle continues to unfold, with the fate of the CFPB and the limits of executive authority over independent agencies hanging in the balance.
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