A federal judge on Monday issued a preliminary injunction to halt Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s efforts to end a collective bargaining agreement for Transportation Safety Administration workers.

U.S. District Judge Marsha Pechman of Seattle said the injunction was necessary so TSA workers could continue using the rights and benefits they had utilized for years while being represented by their labor union, the American Federation of Government Employees.

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The union argued Noem did not have the power to end an already-authorized seven-year contract.

In her ruling, Pechman said the union has shown that Noem’s directive to end the agreement “constitutes impermissible retaliation against it for its unwillingness to acquiesce to the Trump Administration’s assault on federal workers.” Pechman also noted the order likely violated due process.

The union hailed the temporary injunction as a win.

“Today’s court decision is a crucial victory for federal workers and the rule of law,” AFGE National President Everett Kelley said in a press release. “The preliminary injunction underscores the unconstitutional nature of DHS’s attack on TSA officers’ First Amendment rights. We remain committed to ensuring our members’ rights and dignity are protected, and we will not back down from defending our members’ rights against unlawful union busting.”

Last year, the TSA’s workforce solidified a landmark seven-year labor agreement with AFGE. Noem issued a Feb. 27 memo rescinding that agreement. At the time, it was unclear how DHS was going to execute Noem’s order.

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During oral arguments in May, Abigail Carter, who represents AFGE, said Noem’s move was made in retaliation for the organization’s unwillingness acquiesce to the president’s directives on the federal workforce, and called it a violation of the union’s First Amendment right to protected speech and its Fifth Amendment right to due process.

“The administration has made it clear that if you don’t disagree with it politically, you and your members can keep your rights, but if you do disagree, you lose them,” Carter said.