US Judge Permanently Blocks Trump’s Attempt to Fire Puerto Rico Oversight Board Members

By Mintesinot Nigussie  |  September 2, 2026

A federal judge in Puerto Rico has permanently blocked the Trump administration’s attempt to remove three members of the board overseeing the territory’s finances, ruling that their dismissal without cause violated federal law and constitutional protections.

US District Court Judge María Antongiorgi-Jordán converted an earlier preliminary injunction into a permanent order covering Arthur J. Gonzalez, Andrew G. Biggs and Betty A. Rosa, members of the Federal Oversight and Management Board, which was created by Congress to steer Puerto Rico towards fiscal stability.

The ruling ends the government’s challenge to the earlier order after it abandoned an appeal and conceded that permanent relief should be granted.

The dispute centres on the president’s authority to remove members of the oversight board. The plaintiffs argued that board members can only be removed for cause and that the administration failed to provide any reason, notice or opportunity for them to respond before attempting to fire them.

Judge Antongiorgi-Jordán had reached the same conclusion in October 2025, finding the attempted removals "plainly contrary to law". She also rejected government arguments that she said lacked legal support and conflicted with basic rule-of-law principles.

The administration appealed that decision in December 2025. The appeal was later paused while the US Supreme Court considered a separate case involving President Donald Trump’s attempted removal of Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, which raised overlapping questions about presidential authority over officials at independent institutions.

After the Supreme Court ruled that Cook’s removal was unlawful, the government abandoned its appeal in the Puerto Rico case. Judge Antongiorgi-Jordán subsequently asked the administration to explain why the preliminary injunction should not become permanent. The government conceded, clearing the way for the latest ruling.

The case was brought by Gonzalez, Biggs and Rosa against Trump, White House Personnel Office Director Sergio Gor, the remaining member of the oversight board and its executive director. They were represented by Democracy Defenders Fund, Washington Litigation Group and Cooley LLP.

Andrew Warren, deputy legal director at Democracy Defenders Fund, described the ruling as a victory for the separation of powers.

"These unlawful firings were a direct attack on our constitutional separation of powers — and they came at the expense of the Puerto Rican people," Warren said.

James I. Pearce, principal at Washington Litigation Group, said the administration had attempted to remove the board members "without cause, without notice, and without any process at all".

The Federal Oversight and Management Board was established under federal law as part of the US response to Puerto Rico’s severe fiscal crisis, giving it significant authority over the territory’s finances and fiscal plans.

Source: FSX Business News