In a sweeping move that has shocked the federal workforce and disrupted vital diplomatic operations, the Trump administration carried out mass layoffs at the State Department last Friday – targeting more than 1,300 employees across critical functions, from intelligence and energy policy to visa fraud and regional diplomacy.
The layoffs are the first major wave of reductions in force (RIFs) since the Supreme Court lifted an injunction blocking the administration’s reorganization plan. The affected employees – 1,107 civil servants and 246 Foreign Service Officers – were placed on administrative leave, many without advance notice to their supervisors or clear instructions about next steps, as reported by CBS News.
According to the Associated Press, staff in offices overseeing China policy, visa fraud, intelligence, and foreign aid were among those dismissed. Some employees reportedly learned of their termination mid-assignment while working overseas.
AFGE National President Everett Kelley said the rollout has left workers reeling. “Federal employees are just in disarray. They are so confused,” Kelley said in an interview with PBS NewsHour. “In one minute, they have been told, you're going to get RIFed. The next minute, it's put on hold, and then you're going to be RIFed again.”
The State Department’s reorganization is being led by Secretary Marco Rubio and the so-called DOGE team created by Elon Musk. While the administration claims it will improve government efficiency, Kelley dismissed that rationale stating, “I don't think that these actions are about efficiency. It's about retaliation against Americans serving their country for standing up and calling out unjust actions.”
AFGE Local 1534 represents State Department workers and more than 900 employee at the US Agency for International Development (USAID). Following the illegal dismantling of USAID, AFGE and the American Foreign Service Association filed a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s actions. AFGE and the government have filed cross-motions for summary judgement asking the judge to rule, respectively, in their favor. AFGE is asking that the judge implement a permanent injunction blocking the illegal shutting down of USAID. The judge has not yet ruled on the motions.
Additionally, Kelley warned the consequences of governmentwide staffing cuts will be felt far beyond federal offices.
“Just imagine, if you go in and blanketly start firing people, who's going to be affected by that? It's the American people,” he said. “It's the American people that are depending on the Veterans Administration to provide care for the veterans, on our food inspectors to provide food safety, on employees at the Social Security Administration to get benefits out to our seniors on time, on our transportation security officers to provide air travel safety – all of these types of things will be affected.”
According to The Guardian, nearly 3,000 positions at State have been eliminated through layoffs and voluntary departures this year. More than 250,000 federal employees overall have already left government service via early retirements or buyouts.
In some agencies, such as the Department of Veterans Affairs, those departures have allowed officials to scale back layoff plans. But the State Department is pressing ahead, despite warnings from over 130 former senior diplomats and officials who said the cuts will undermine U.S. national security and cripple foreign service operations.
Kelley urged the State Department to pause and re-evaluate the consequences.
“There should not be a rush to implement these extreme layoff plans created by Elon Musk before there's been time to review and evaluate the consequences,” he said.
AFGE is continuing to challenge the legality of the RIF process in court and is encouraging affected employees to stay engaged and hopeful.
“I think that AFGE has a very strong case against the legality of these actions,” Kelley said. “So, I encourage people to hang in there. These people want to do that job. They just want the opportunity to do it.”
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