A federal judge has temporarily blocked the Trump administration from laying off more than 1,400 employeesnearly 90%of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) staff, pausing the dramatic move as the court evaluates whether it violates a previous injunction.

U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson intervened during a Friday hearing, ordering the CFPB not to terminate staff computer access or proceed with layoffs until she can hold a full hearing on April 28.

Its not going to happen in the meantime, Jackson said, according to The Hill.Were not going to disperse1,483 people into the universe and have them be unable to communicate with the agency anymore until we have determined whether that is lawful or not.

Union protested

The legal challenge stems from a February lawsuit filed by the National Treasury Employees Union and other groups against acting CFPB Director Russell Vought.

The plaintiffs argue that the Trump administration is attempting to effectively dismantle the consumer watchdog agency in defiance of Jacksons earlier order, which limits staff reductions unless there is a particularized assessment demonstrating employees are unnecessary to fulfill the CFPBs statutory mission.

Although an appeals court partially paused Jacksons prior injunction, it upheld the requirement that any workforce reductions must be individualized and justified. Plaintiffs claim the current layoff plan fails that test.

In a filing Thursday, they warned that entire offices, including statutorily mandated ones, have or soon will be either eliminated or reduced to a single person.

Attorney Deepak Gupta, representing the plaintiffs, accused the administration of trying to implement the cuts under the radar before the court could intervene. The agency sought to quietly lock these employees out of their systems so we would not be able to come to the court in an orderly fashion, Gupta said.

At the upcoming April 28 hearing, the plaintiffs are also expected to demand the release of internal CFPB documents outlining how the layoffs were planned. The case marks a critical flashpoint in the ongoing legal battle over the future and function of the nations top consumer protection agency.

Consumer groups protest

Consumer advocacy organizations condemned the plans when they became known earlier this week.

Sabotaging the CFPB by firing almost 90% of its remaining civil servants who protect Americans from corporate crime is hardly the individualized or particularized assessment that the court required the CFPB to undergo, said Erin Witte, director of consumer protection for the Consumer Federation of America, in aprepared statement.

This is a reckless move that will leave millions of Americans more vulnerable to financial fraud and abuse, said National Consumers League VP of Public Policy John Breyault. With only about 200 personnel left to oversee the financial marketplace, the Bureaus effectiveness will be severely compromised at a time when scams, identity theft, and predatory lending are on the rise.

"This is yet another attempt by this administration to dismantle one of the most effective consumer protection watchdogs in the federal government.

"Ordering a reduction in force order contradicts the views of Americans who have repeatedly expressed strong bipartisan support for financial protection and the CFPB, said Adam Rust, director of financial services for the Consumer Federation of America. We have a CFPB because excessive risk-taking by corporations caused millions of people to lose their homes, businesses, and life savings.

"By saving people $21 billion since the CFPBs inception, the dedicated staff at the agency have demonstrated the value they bring. They deserve respect not to be subject to extremist attacks on their livelihoods inspired by the whims of billionaires. The only winners here are predatory lenders, surveillance Big Tech firms, fraudsters, and financial institutions that want to profit at our expense.

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