HOUSTON, United States

The US Supreme Court paved the way Tuesday for the Trump administration to continue executing its plan for mass layoffs of federal workers at nearly two dozen government agencies in order to reduce federal spending.

The nation's highest court lifted a lower court order that blocked the sweeping layoffs, which allows President Donald Trump to move forward with his downsizing of government employees while the legal battle continues in court.

"Because the government is likely to succeed on its argument that the executive order and memorandum are lawful...we grant the application," the court said in its unsigned opinion. "We express no view on the legality of any agency (reduction) and reorganization plan produced or approved pursuant to the executive order and memorandum."

The US State Department hailed the ruling as a victory.

"Today's near unanimous decision from the Supreme Court further confirms that the law was on our side throughout this entire process," the agency said in a statement. "We will continue to move forward with our historic reorganization plan at the State Department."

The decision clears the way for the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to push forward with its reorganization of the federal government and its massive reduction of the workforce.

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented from the court's ruling and accused it of demonstrating an "enthusiasm for greenlighting this president's legally dubious actions in an emergency posture."

Justice Sonia Sotomayor released a statement expressing that while the president cannot restructure federal agencies in a way that is inconsistent with congressional mandates, the agency is planning for workforce reductions that are not yet before the Supreme Court.

"We thus have no occasion to consider whether they can and will be carried out consistent with the constraints of law," said Sotomayor. "I join the court's stay because it leaves the district court free to consider those questions in the first instance."

The ruling was a disappointment to the coalition of labor unions, nonprofit organizations, cities and counties that filed the case on behalf of federal workers.

"Today's decision has dealt a serious blow to our democracy and puts services that the American people rely on in grave jeopardy," the coalition said in a statement. "This decision does not change the simple and clear fact that reorganizing government functions and laying off federal workers en masse haphazardly without any congressional approval is not allowed by our Constitution."