Tens of thousands of United States federal civil service workers have been laid off or fired since the start of the second presidency of Donald Trump.
The administration's efforts to shrink the federal workforce have taken place in overlapping stages, including a January executive order seeking to strip thousands of employees of civil-service protections[1][2]; a January "deferred-resignation" deal[3][4]; the gutting of several specific agencies, including the United States Agency for International Development and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
[5] The longest-running stage began on the first day of Trump's second term in office: an effort to fire tens of thousands of "probationary employees"—generally, workers hired, transferred, or promoted within the past year.
He also tapped billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, the largest single donor to his campaign,[21] to run a new effort, dubbed the Department of Government Efficiency, to carry out mass layoffs and other measures.
"[26] When Trump took office, he issued executive orders to rename the United States Digital Service to the "United States DOGE Service" and create "DOGE teams" embedded within federal agencies consisting of at least four employees who would have "full and prompt access to all unclassified agency records, software systems and IT systems" to the "maximum extent consistent with law".
Officially, the group's goal is to advance the "president's DOGE agenda" by "modernizing federal technology and software to maximize governmental efficiency and productivity".
[30] Trump appointed Musk a senior advisor to the president,[31] and the billionaire has played a central role in shaping federal layoffs, advocating for rapid downsizing to eliminate inefficiencies.
[69] These actions have drawn criticism, especially in the wake of a January fatal mid-air collision near Washington, D.C.[68][70] The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) terminated over 300 probationary employees—including staff tasked with enforcing regulations under the Clean Air and Clean Water Acts and reviewing environmental permits—which could delay critical oversight functions and compromise timely responses to pollution and disaster events.
[71][72] Analysts caution that these staffing reductions may hinder the agency's capacity to maintain environmental safeguards and public health protections during a period of significant regulatory review and enforcement challenges.
[79] On March 3, department officials began placing probationary employees on administrative leave, telling Congress that they intended to fire the workers within 14 to 21 days.
This reduction jeopardizes critical technical assistance for farmers and ranchers, potentially disrupting efforts to mitigate soil erosion and maintain sustainable agricultural practices.
Experts warn that these cuts will hinder the USDA's ability to implement key climate policies and waste resources already invested in long-term scientific studies.
[86] Experts warn that this will impair efforts to prevent wildfires and restore forests, leaving critical tasks such as trail maintenance, watershed protection, and fuel reduction understaffed and potentially driving up homeowner insurance costs in vulnerable areas.
[88] Some argue that these layoffs could hurt the management of public lands, with concerns about reduced capacity for essential functions such as wildfire response and land-use planning.
[92] Critics argue that these layoffs could undermine park operations, disrupt conservation efforts, and negatively impact visitor services, especially with peak season approaching.
[94] The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) dismissed over 1,000 probationary employees, including researchers focused on mental health, cancer treatments, addiction recovery, prosthetics, and burn pit exposure.
[95] Lawmakers such as Sen. Patty Murray and Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz have criticized the decision, expressing concerns over potential staffing shortages and its impact on veteran care.
[97] These layoffs, occurring during the peak tax-filing season, have raised concerns about potential delays in tax return processing, reduced customer service, and diminished enforcement capabilities[98] during a critical period.
[100] About 1,200 to 2,000 Department of Energy (DOE) employees were fired, affecting critical areas such as the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), the Loan Programs Office, and power grid management.
In February 2025, about 130 of the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA)'s 3,000-plus employees were fired, with an additional 300 positions eliminated through buyouts and early retirements, totaling nearly 20% of its workforce.
These cuts raised concerns about the reliability of the Pacific Northwest's electrical grid, as BPA manages a substantial portion of the region's power infrastructure.
[107] The Department of Education implemented workforce reductions, including layoffs at the Office for Civil Rights, which investigates discrimination complaints in schools.
[139][140] NTEU President Doreen Greenwald said, "There is no doubt that the administration's actions are an illegal end-run on Congress, which has the sole power to create and oversee federal agencies.
On February 27, U.S. District Judge William Alsup granted temporary relief, finding that the mass firings of probationary employees were likely illegal.
[149] A lawsuit was filed on February 6 by the American Foreign Service Association and the American Federation of Government Employees in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, requesting a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction against the administration, claiming that it violated separation of powers, the Take Care Clause of the Constitution, and the Administrative Procedure Act and requesting that all attempts to shut down the agency be halted, all recent actions be reversed, and a new acting director be appointed.
[150][151][152] The following day, U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols, nominated by President Trump in 2019, entered a temporary restraining order, pausing the government's plan to put thousands of employees on leave and accelerate removal of overseas workers.
[154] Though Nichols had argued that Trump's actions threaten the safety of USAID workers abroad (many of whom are deployed in unstable regions),[155][156] on February 21, he decided not to further extend his restraining order.
Consequently, U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson issued a temporary restraining order that halted further terminations, prevented the destruction or removal of sensitive data, and blocked the transfer of reserve funds until a preliminary injunction hearing could be held.
Demonstrations have occurred in cities such as New York, Jacksonville, and Tucson, with participants criticizing Musk's role in implementing substantial cuts to the federal workforce.
[170] Many constituents turned out to town hall meetings held by members of Congress in February, 2025, and voiced their concerns and anger about the mass layoffs.