In a major legal twist, a U.S. federal appeals court has delivered a significant blow to former President Donald Trump’s effort to reshape key federal labor boards. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled on Monday to stop Trump from removing two Democratic officials from independent labor boards — a decision that reasserts legal protections meant to shield these agencies from political interference.
This decision reverses an earlier ruling by a three-judge panel that had temporarily allowed Trump to fire Gwynne Wilcox from the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and Cathy Harris from the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB). In a 7-4 vote, the full court reinstated lower court decisions that had initially blocked the removals, marking a major win for advocates of agency independence.
These two agencies play vital roles in upholding labor rights and protecting federal workers. The NLRB oversees disputes between private employers and unions, ensuring fair labor practices. Meanwhile, the MSPB handles appeals from federal employees who believe they’ve been wrongfully fired or disciplined. With over 8,400 appeals pending since Trump’s return to office in January, the MSPB is already under immense pressure — and the removal of its members could have paralyzed its operations entirely.
By attempting to fire Wilcox and Harris, Trump had effectively pushed these boards to the edge of dysfunction. Both the NLRB and MSPB require a minimum number of members to make binding decisions. Without Wilcox and Harris, they would lack the quorum needed to function, putting thousands of cases and federal employees in limbo.
What makes this legal fight particularly consequential is the constitutional question at its core: Can a president unilaterally remove members of independent federal agencies who were granted protections by Congress? Trump’s team argued that these statutory protections infringe on the president’s authority over the executive branch. However, Monday’s ruling emphasized that existing U.S. Supreme Court precedents support the structure and autonomy of independent agencies.
The court criticized the earlier panel decision for disregarding these precedents and reaffirmed that agency independence is not just a technicality — it’s a safeguard against political abuse of power.
Neither the White House nor the legal representatives for Wilcox and Harris have publicly commented on the latest development. But the ruling signals that Trump’s broader effort to bring independent agencies under tighter presidential control will face steep legal hurdles.
This battle is far from over, but Monday’s decision sets a powerful tone. It reinforces the idea that federal boards tasked with upholding employee rights must remain above the political fray — even in turbulent times.
