US judge temporarily blocks mass firings at consumer bureau

19/4/2025 6:26

A federal judge on Friday halted the mass firings carried out on Thursday afternoon at the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, saying she was

deeply concerned 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 on 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 the DOGE member Gavin Kliger also demanded staff work a 36-hour shift without breaks and verbally abused staff. However, the Office of Personnel Management, the government human resources office where Kliger works, rejected the allegations as "an outright lie," asserting Kliger had not

overseen the workforce reduction.