India, Oct. 29 -- A US federal judge in San Francisco on Tuesday indefinitely barred the Donald Trump administration from firing federal employees during the ongoing government shutdown.

District Judge Susan Illston granted a preliminary injunction that bars the firings while a lawsuit challenging them plays out. She had previously issued a temporary restraining order against the job cuts that was set to expire on Wednesday.

Illston, who was nominated by Democratic President Bill Clinton, has said she believes the evidence will ultimately show the mass firings were illegal and in excess of authority.

The American Federation of Government Employees and other labour unions have sued to stop the "reductions in force" layoffs, saying the f...