A US federal judge, Amy Berman Jackson on Friday suspended the mass firings carried out on Thursday afternoon at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, CFPB.
Berman Jackson said she was deeply concerned the US President Donald Trump’s administration had violated court orders setting conditions on dismissals.
Recall that the agency on Thursday fired between 1,400 and 1,500 workers, eliminating as much as 90% of its workforce
“I am deeply concerned given the scope and speed of the agency’s action,” Judge Berman Jackson ruled.
The sweeping nature of the layoffs which would affect up to 1,500 of the bureau’s 1,700 employees raised questions about “whether the agency is now in compliance” with a preliminary injunction Berman put in place, she said.
Last month, Berman Jackson issued an order temporarily preventing the Trump White House from closing the CFPB, a watchdog that ensures consumers’ rights are protected in the financial marketplace.
Conservatives have accused the CFPB of overreach, with Trump adviser Elon Musk saying he planned to “delete” the bureau.
