California: A federal judge in California has blocked US Secretary of State Marco Rubio from proceeding with layoffs at the State Department, ruling that the move violates a prior court order halting large-scale federal job cuts. US District Judge Susan Illston's decision comes as a significant setback for the department's restructuring plans.

According to Anadolu Agency, Judge Illston highlighted that her injunction issued in May, which barred federal agencies from laying off tens of thousands of employees under President Donald Trump's directive, also applies to the State Department's restructuring plan. Last month, the State Department had informed Congress of its intention to lay off approximately 2,000 employees in June and eliminate or consolidate more than 300 bureaus and offices.

The Trump administration argued that Rubio's plan was unrelated to the president's executive order and should not fall under the injunction's constraints. However, during a virtual hearing, Judge Illston rejected that defense, emphasizing the scope of her initial order. She further instructed that if the State Department has any questions regarding whether planned actions fall within the injunction's scope, they must consult the Court before proceeding.