Sotomayor breaks with Jackson in Supreme Court decision over Trump cuts to federal workforce

Sotomayor's remarks were included as part of a short two-page order from the Supreme Court saying the executive order Trump signed in February directing federal agencies to plan for "large-scale reductions in force (RIFs), consistent with applicable law" was likely lawful.

The Supreme Court said it had no opinion at this stage on the legality of any actual job cuts and that that question was not before the high court.

But Jackson felt differently, according to her 15-page dissent affixed to the order.

"That temporary, practical, harm-reducing preservation of the status quo was no match for this Court's demonstrated enthusiasm for greenlighting this President's legally dubious actions in an emergency posture," Jackson said.

Any future government downsizing would come on top of thousands of government employees already losing their jobs or opting to accept buy-out plans as part of Trump's stated goals to scale down the federal government and make it run more efficiently.

The Supreme Court's order arose from a lawsuit brought by labor organizations and nonprofits, who alleged that the president's decision to dramatically slash the federal workforce infringed on Congress's authority over approving and funding government jobs.

The order was issued on an emergency basis and is only temporary. It will remain in place while the Trump administration appeals the lawsuit in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.