US judge halts shutdown layoffs as Trump threatens 10,000 jobs

US Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, Republican of Louisiana, holds a press conference with Republican leadership at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on October 15, 2025. [AFP]

A US judge ordered President Donald Trump on Wednesday to pause the planned mass layoffs of federal workers during the government shutdown after the White House said it expected to fire 10,000 workers.

The shutdown has ground into its third week, with Congress deadlocked in a clash over spending and Trump following through on his threats to take a hatchet to the workforce in response.