Federal Judge Permanently Blocks Trump’s Unlawful Federal Oversight and Management Board Firings
September 1, 2026
WASHINGTON, D.C. — A federal judge in the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico granted a permanent injunction invalidating the attempted, unlawful termination of three members of the oversight board responsible for guiding Puerto Rico toward fiscal stability. The members, Arthur J. Gonzalez, Andrew G. Biggs and Betty A. Rosa, represented by Democracy Defenders Fund, the Washington Litigation Group and Cooley LLP, had previously obtained a preliminary injunction after filing a lawsuit last year challenging their firings. Today’s ruling converted the preliminary injunction — an interim order intended to restore the status quo while the case proceeds — into permanent relief.
The lawsuit argues that members of the Federal Oversight and Management Board cannot be removed without cause and that the president’s attempt to fire them violated the U.S. Constitution and the federal law establishing the FOMB. The suit was filed against President Donald Trump, White House Personnel Office Director Sergio Gor, the last remaining member of the FOMB, and FOMB’s executive director.
On Oct. 3, 2025, United States District Court Judge María Antongiorgi-Jordán granted a preliminary injunction, concluding that the president’s attempt to remove FOMB members without articulating any reason, providing any notice, or giving the members any opportunity to respond was “plainly contrary to law.” In ruling for the plaintiffs, she criticized the government for raising “arguments that both lack support in the law and run afoul of basic rule of law principles.”
The government appealed the preliminary injunction in December 2025, but the parties agreed to pause the appellate process while the case involving the president’s attempted removal of Federal Reserve Board Governor Lisa Cook was pending before the United States Supreme Court, as the two cases involve overlapping legal issues. After the Supreme Court concluded that the president’s firing of Governor Cook was illegal, the government abandoned its appeal of the preliminary injunction. Judge Antongiorgi-Jordán invited the government to explain why a permanent injunction should not be granted, but the government conceded.
“This is another important win for the rule of law. When the president doesn’t get his way, he repeatedly abuses his power to remove independent officials,” said Andrew Warren, deputy legal director for Democracy Defenders Fund. “These unlawful firings were a direct attack on our constitutional separation of powers — and they came at the expense of the Puerto Rican people.”
“The government tried to remove three qualified board members without cause, without notice, and without any process at all. Judge Antongiorgi-Jordán rejected that approach twice, first on a preliminary basis and now permanently,” said James I. Pearce, principal at the Washington Litigation Group. “Today’s ruling is a straightforward vindication of the rule of law, and a reminder that even the president doesn’t get to sidestep it when it’s inconvenient.”
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Democracy Defenders Fund brings together a nonpartisan team to work with national, state and local allies across the country to defend in real-time the foundations of our democracy.
The Washington Litigation Group represents individuals and institutions who have been unlawfully targeted for exercising their rights and brings affirmative litigation to curb governmental overreach.
Cooley LLP is an international law firm with nearly 1,400 lawyers and a total workforce of more than 3,000 people across 19 offices in the United States, Asia, and Europe.
For media inquiries, contact press@democracydefenders.org.
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