A federal judge on Thursday continued to block the Trump administration from moving forward with its plans to lay off thousands of government workers at more than 20 federal agencies, providing federal employees a lifeline as a legal challenge to President Trump's bid to restructure the federal government moves forward.

A federal judge said late Thursday that she will continue to halt President Donald Trump’s orders for mass terminations at several agencies, handing down a preliminary injunction that follows up the temporary restraining order she issued earlier this month.

The ruling said the president is trying “to chill legal representation the administration doesn’t like” by punishing lawyers and law firms.