The ruling could usher in a more professionalized round of layoffs, compared to the erratic rush of firings carried out by Elon Musk's U.S. DOGE Service.

The administration argues that the president does not need additional authorization from Congress to conduct agency-wide layoffs. Attorney General Pam Bondi praised the Supreme Court’s order, saying it “stopped lawless lower courts from restricting President Trump’s authority over federal personnel.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Tuesday cleared the way for President Donald Trump’s plans to downsize the federal workforce despite warnings that critical government services will be lost and hundreds of thousands of federal employees will be out of their jobs.