A federal judge in San Francisco on Tuesday halted the Trump administration’s plans to layoff thousands of federal employees in the wake of the government shutdown, ruling that the administration may not proceed with any new reductions-in-force (RIF) notices issued as a result of the shutdown.

US District Judge Susan Illston of the Northern District of California issued a preliminary injunction on the finding that the plaintiffs, a coalition of federal employee unions, demonstrated a likelihood of success on the merits that the layoffs violated administrative statutes and federal labor protections.

The lawsuit was filed earlier this month by several labor unions, including the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), after several agencies, including the Department of the Interior, signaled plans to eliminate thousands of positions during the funding lapse. Plaintiffs argued that the Office of Personnel Management and the Office of Management and Budget acted beyond its authority under the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) in directing agencies to continue RIF processes without appropriated funds.

Defendants invoked the Antideficiency Act, contending that the lack of appropriations prevented agencies from maintaining unfunded positions and required cost-saving measures, including layoffs. The court held that the lawsuit was not brought under the Antideficiency Act, but rather sought review of agency actions “contrary to law” under the APA.

The court ultimately ordered the administration to cease issuing RIF notices linked to the shutdown, file an accounting of all RIFs issued on or after October 1, and submit declarations describing steps taken to comply with the court’s order within 10 days.

The injunction does not apply to layoffs initiated before the shutdown began. The court noted that as of October 10, the administration had already issued 4,000 RIF notices.