A US appeals court on Friday declined to pause a lower court ruling that blocks the Trump administration from moving forward with mass layoffs of federal workers and a sweeping government restructuring plan.

The San Francisco-based 9th Circuit Court of Appeals denied the administration’s request to stay a May 22 decision by US District Judge Susan Illston, who found that such actions require congressional approval.

The ruling prevents the administration from proceeding with its plan to eliminate tens of thousands of federal jobs and shutter multiple agencies. An appeal could take months, prompting the administration to likely seek relief from the US Supreme Court.

With inputs from Reuters

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