Court rulings test limits of Trump's power
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A federal judge on Thursday paused the Trump administration's "buyout" offer for federal employees hours before it was set to expire.
- Multiple judges have now ordered freezes on President Trump's plan to end birthright citizenship.
- Lawsuits involving Elon Musk's takeover of federal agencies are just getting started, but they're already resulting in some limits on the DOGE team.
The big picture: The courts are one of the only real threats to slow or stop substantial parts of Trump's agenda — and they're doing it.
Driving the news: Roughly 40,000 federal workers have accepted President Trump's deferred resignation offer ahead of a midnight deadline.
- But a judge in Boston blocked the federal government from executing the plan at least until Monday, when he hears arguments over whether the buyout program is legal.
- The specific terms of the arrangement have always been somewhat murky. Education Department staffers were told today that if they took the deal, it could be canceled at any time and workers would have no recourse, NBC News reported.
Earlier Thursday, the Treasury Department reportedly agreed to limit DOGE workers' access to certain sensitive systems, in response to a lawsuit alleging privacy violations.
- Meanwhile the second federal judge in two days blocked Trump's order on birthright citizenship, which the judge previously called "blatantly unconstitutional."
What we're watching: None of these are final rulings on the merits of any of the Trump administration's actions. Trump may ultimately prevail in many of these legal battles.
- But lawsuits and preliminary court rulings are already weakening or holding up some of Trump's top early priorities.
Go deeper: Trump vs. the courts
