A federal judge has temporarily halted the dismantling of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, ordering officials not to fire employees en masse or delete critical agency data. The halt comes after the bureau’s staff, including those who were listening to a hearing remotely, expressed immediate joy and relief over the news. The decision follows a series of mass firings by the Trump administration, which has been in crisis mode since President Trump appointed a new acting director.
In court papers filed earlier this week, lawyers representing the bureau’s staff union had sought a restraining order to prevent what they described as an imminent dismissal of nearly all employees and the deletion of critical agency data. A judge has agreed to delay job cuts and other major actions until early March.
The halt blocks officials from issuing a “reduction in force” notice — the process the government follows for layoffs — to any consumer bureau employee, as well as deleting or impairing data. The decision also prevents the deletion of digital agency records, which were reportedly set to be erased.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has been in a state of crisis since last Friday, when President Trump appointed Russell Vought as the agency’s acting director. Since then, the bureau has fired at least 170 employees, including probationary and fixed-term workers, and closed its headquarters for the week. The latest decision brings some relief to the agency’s remaining staff, who are still waiting to find out if they will have an office to return to.
The turmoil at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is likely to continue in the near future. Despite a halt on further firings, employees remain uncertain about their jobs and the fate of the agency. Rumors persist that Trump officials may terminate the bureau’s lease on its Washington headquarters, leaving workers without a place to work.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/14/us/politics/judge-orders-a-freeze-on-firing-consumer-bureaus-staff-and-deleting-its-data.html