The White House on Friday announced it was moving forward with layoffs of federal employees, making good on its threats amid the government shutdown.
Multiple agencies have confirmed their staff have received notices about reductions in force (RIFs). In a Friday filing from the Department of Justice (DOJ), it stated that 4,100 federal employees had been laid off so far.
Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought announced layoffs would begin Friday, a day after the Senate failed to pass rival GOP and Democratic bills to end the shutdown.
Employees unions have vowed to challenge the firings in court, and Democrats and even some Republicans have criticized the move as one that turns federal workers into political pawns and threatens critical government services.
Here are the agencies The Hill knows are affected.
Department of Health and Human Services
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said in a statement to The Hill that employees „across multiple divisions“ had received notices about reductions in force „as a direct consequence of the Democrat-led shutdown.“
Between 1,100 and 1,200 employees were laid off on Friday, according to the DOJ filing.
„All HHS employees receiving reduction-in-force notices were designated non-essential by their respective divisions,“ the department said. „HHS continues to close wasteful and duplicative entities, including those that are at odds with the Trump administration’s Make America Healthy Again agenda.“
The HHS was among the agencies hardest hit by layoffs earlier in the year through the Department of Government Efficiency’s efforts to slash the size of government.
It is unclear how many employees are being affected by the shutdown layoffs.
Department of Homeland Security
A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed employees working for the sprawling agency would be part of layoffs. As of Friday night, 176 DHS employees were let go, per the DOJ.
Specifically, many employees working in the Cybersecurity Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), were set to be laid off.
“RIFs will be occurring at CISA. During the last administration CISA was focused on censorship, branding and electioneering,” a DHS spokesperson said in a statement. “This is part of getting CISA back on mission.”
The Trump administration has long targeted CISA after its former leader, Christopher Krebs, refuted President Trump’s claims about widespread fraud in the 2020 election. Trump fired Krebs in November 2020, and the administration earlier this year revoked Krebs’s security clearance.
Environmental Protection Agency
Employees in the EPA’s Resource Conservation and Sustainability Division received an email indicating the agency would be undertaking a RIF. Between 20 and 30 EPA employees were told that they may be affected by a RIF in the future.
„EPA has not made a final decision as to whether or when to issue RIF notices to some or all of those employees at some point going forward and is currently deliberating regarding those potential plans,“ a DOJ filing read.
Asked about layoffs broadly, an EPA spokesperson told The Hill via email, “It’s unfortunate that Democrats have chosen to shut down the government and brought about this outcome. If they want to reopen the government, they can choose to do so at any time.”
Contingency plans posted online ahead of the shutdown showed roughly 89 percent of the EPA’s workforce was slated to be furloughed during the shutdown.
The EPA confirmed in June it was down more than 700 staffers since January, though those staffers may have separated from the agency for any number of reasons.
Department of Education
A spokesperson for the Department of Education confirmed to The Hill its employees “will be impacted by the RIF.”
Approximately 466 Department of Education employees were laid off on Friday, according to the DOJ.
The Education Department has already been targeted by the Trump administration for mass layoffs. President Trump earlier this year signed an executive order calling for the closure of the department, and roughly half of the agency’s workers were laid off in a move that sparked court challenges.
Department of Housing and Urban Development
An administration official confirmed HUD employees would also be affected by the reductions in force, though they did not specify how many employees or which specific offices.
Around 442 HUD employees were let go Friday, the legal filing stated.
Treasury Department
A Treasury Department spokesperson confirmed to The Hill that RIF notices were underway at the agency as of Friday afternoon, though they did not provide specifics about how many people were affected.
The DOJ stated that 1,446 employees were laid off on Friday.
Multiple reports indicated the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), which has already seen staffing reductions this year, was impacted.
Updated at 7:17 p.m. EDT
Rachel Frazin and Ryan Mancini contributed.
