A federal judge in Boston on Friday, Sept. 11, 2026, issued a preliminary injunction blocking the Trump administration from asking federal job applicants to explain how they would help advance the president's policies and executive orders. U.S. District Judge George O'Toole ruled that the question likely violates the Administrative Procedure Act by infringing on First Amendment rights. The ruling follows a lawsuit filed in November 2025 by three labor unions representing government employees.
The legal challenge centered on a "merit hiring plan" introduced by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) in May 2025 to implement an executive order signed by President Trump in January 2025. That order directed the agency to ensure the federal workforce consisted of individuals "dedicated to the furtherance of American ideals, values, and interests." The OPM plan included four essay questions, one of which asked candidates to identify a meaningful administration policy or executive order and describe how they would help implement those goals if hired.
Judge O'Toole, an appointee of President Bill Clinton, stated in his ruling that the plaintiffs are likely to succeed in showing there is no "legitimate governmental interest in inquiring into the political beliefs" of civil service applicants. The unions—the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), and the National Association of Government Employees (NAGE)—argued the question politicized a nonpartisan merit system. OPM previously defended the question as optional and stated that hiring decisions could not legally be based on political affiliation.
This ruling affects individuals applying for career civil service positions, with O'Toole noting the question had been asked of applicants for roles ranging from air traffic control specialists and crane operators to nuclear materials couriers. Lawyers for the unions said the question has appeared in more than 70,000 federal job postings. The unions reported that while the government characterized the essays as optional, they had previously informed the court that some applicants found they could not skip the question when submitting applications.
The decision reinforces the Civil Service Reform Act, which prohibits making employment decisions for these specific roles based on political affiliation. The injunction prevents the continued use of the question while the litigation continues. OPM did not immediately respond to requests for comment following the Friday ruling. The case moved forward after the unions filed a writ of mandamus in June 2026 to compel a decision following a March hearing.