A federal judge in San Francisco ordered the Trump administration on Wednesday [Dec. 17] to rehire, with back pay, about 675 employees who were laid off during and immediately after the government shutdown.

The administration violated a resolution by the Republican-controlled Congress, and signed by President Donald Trump, requiring reinstatement of the dismissed workers, U.S. District Judge Susan Illston said in issuing a preliminary injunction requiring their reinstatement through at least Jan. 30.

She cited a statement in the resolution that between Nov. 12, when Congress reached a budget agreement that ended the 43-day shutdown, and Jan. 30, “no federal funds may be used to initiate, carry out, implement, or otherwise notice a reduction in force.”

Trump’s Justice Department argued that the language prohibited only a new “notice” of further dismissals. But Illston said words such as “carry out” and “implement” meant that laid-off employees must be rehired and paid what they were owed since Sept. 30.

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A federal judge in San Francisco ordered the Trump administration on Wednesday [Dec. 17] to rehire, with back pay, about 675 employees who were laid off during and immediately after the government shutdown.

The administration violated a resolution by the Republican-controlled Congress, and signed by President Donald Trump, requiring reinstatement of the dismissed workers, U.S. District Judge Susan Illston said in issuing a preliminary injunction requiring their reinstatement through at least Jan. 30.

She cited a statement in the resolution that between Nov. 12, when Congress reached a budget agreement that ended the 43-day shutdown, and Jan. 30, “no federal funds may be used to initiate, carry out, implement, or otherwise notice a reduction in force.”

Trump’s Justice Department argued that the language prohibited only a new “notice” of further dismissals. But Illston said words such as “carry out” and “implement” meant that laid-off employees must be rehired and paid what they were owed since Sept. 30.