In a court ruling, U.S. District Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson wrote that unions were right in arguing that the provisions included in the orders infringed upon areas that are negotiated between federal employee unions and the government.

Jackson, an appointee of former President Obama, wrote that the orders "impair the ability of agency officials to keep an open mind, and to participate fully in give-and-take discussions, during collective bargaining negotiations."

The Trump administration issued the orders in May, saying the rules changes were aimed at saving taxpayers around $100 million per year.