The Trump administration on Friday dismissed more than 9,500 federal workers as part of a campaign to reduce bureaucracy, affecting employees in agencies handling land management, veterans’ care, and other public services.
The layoffs follow an earlier voluntary buyout program, which led to the departure of 75,000 federal employees, representing about 3% of the civilian workforce.
The job cuts impacted workers at the Departments of Interior, Energy, Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, and Health and Human Services. The reductions have primarily targeted probationary employees in their first year, who have fewer employment protections.
The administration argues the federal government is too large and inefficient, citing $36 trillion in national debt and a $1.8 trillion budget deficit as reasons for reform.
Congressional Democrats criticized the move, saying it oversteps legislative authority on federal spending, while Republicans, who control both chambers, have largely supported it. The pace and scope of the cuts have led to tensions within the administration, with White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles reportedly expressing concerns over a lack of coordination in the process.
Beyond workforce reductions, the administration has sought to weaken civil service protections, freeze foreign aid, and significantly reduce operations at agencies such as the U.S. Agency for International Development and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health have seen nearly half of their probationary employees dismissed.
The U.S. Forest Service has laid off 3,400 recent hires, while the National Park Service has let go of about 1,000 employees.
The Internal Revenue Service is preparing further layoffs, which could affect tax collection as the April 15 filing deadline approaches. Budget cuts have also disrupted federal wildfire prevention efforts, halting seasonal firefighter hiring and forest hazard removal programs.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent defended the cuts, describing them as part of an audit to improve government efficiency. Critics, including federal employee unions, argue the approach prioritizes industry interests over public service, with government functions increasingly being shaped by private-sector executives like Elon Musk, who has played a key role in the restructuring.
Some job cuts have faced legal challenges. Layoffs at the Department of Energy included 325 employees from the National Nuclear Security Administration, but some were later rescinded to maintain nuclear security operations.
The CFPB layoffs were temporarily halted by a court order, delaying expected mass terminations. Federal worker unions have filed lawsuits challenging the buyout program and broader downsizing efforts.
Meanwhile, a federal judge in New York extended a restraining order preventing Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) team from accessing Treasury Department systems, following privacy-related lawsuits.
