The political standoff over the government shutdown intensified sharply on Friday as the Trump administration began a wave of unprecedented layoffs across the federal workforce, following through on threats to permanently downsize agencies.
Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought confirmed the dramatic escalation, posting the cryptic but potent message on social media: “The RIFs have begun“—referring to “Reductions in Force,” the bureaucratic term for mass layoffs. This move breaks sharply with precedent, as federal workers in prior shutdowns were merely furloughed with the expectation of returning to their jobs and receiving back pay once funding was restored.
A court filing by the Justice Department later revealed the initial scope, confirming that more than 4,200 federal employees across at least seven key agencies had received formal layoff notices.
Agencies Hit Hardest by ‘Substantial’ Cuts
The layoffs, which the administration described as “substantial,” appear to be strategically targeting programs and departments that do not align with the President’s priorities, transforming a temporary funding lapse into a permanent reshaping of the federal government.
The agencies with the highest reported cuts include:
- Treasury Department: Over 1,400 employees received notices, with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) being a major target.
- Department of Health and Human Services (HHS): Approximately 1,100 to 1,200 employees were affected, with cuts reportedly aimed at entities created during the pandemic and other divisions at odds with the administration’s public health vision.
- Department of Education: Nearly all employees below the director level at the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education were reportedly laid off, continuing a sharp downsizing that has already halved the department’s workforce since the beginning of the year.
- Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD): Around 442 employees were targeted, including staff within offices focused on fair and equal housing.
- Department of Homeland Security (DHS): Layoffs were confirmed at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), a group that previously drew the White House’s ire for challenging misinformation.
The layoffs, which require a 60-day notice period, are the culmination of a year-long downsizing campaign that has seen hundreds of thousands of federal workers already depart through buyouts, deferred resignation offers, and prior firings.
Political Weapon or Necessary Reform?
President Donald Trump, who has previously vowed to cut the federal workforce, defended the action and placed the blame squarely on Democrats for the ongoing funding impasse.
“They started this thing,” the President told reporters, adding that the job cuts would be “Democrat-oriented” because the layoffs would target “people that the Democrats want.”
Democrats and labor unions have forcefully pushed back, calling the mass firings illegal and an abuse of power. The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) and the AFL-CIO immediately filed an emergency motion in federal court to block the dismissals.
“It is disgraceful that the Trump administration has used the government shutdown as an excuse to illegally fire thousands of workers who provide critical services to communities across the country,” said AFGE President Everett Kelley.
The move has even drawn criticism from some Republicans, who worry the aggressive tactic will complicate bipartisan negotiations to end the shutdown, which is now nearing its second week.
The crisis deepens the uncertainty for federal employees—many of whom are already furloughed or working without pay—and raises significant concerns about the long-term capacity of agencies to perform core government functions, even if the funding dispute is ultimately resolved.