The Trump administration has once again begun large-scale layoffs, cutting more than 4,100 federal employees as the government shutdown continues to drag on. The details came to light Friday through a Justice Department filing following a court order from U.S. District Judge Susan Illston.
The Treasury Department was hit hardest, losing nearly 1,500 employees. Health and Human Services followed with over 1,100 cuts, while hundreds more lost jobs at Education, Housing and Urban Development, Commerce, Energy, and Homeland Security.
A senior administration official described the move as “just a snapshot in time,” warning that “more RIFs are coming.”
Federal unions, including the American Federation of Government Employees, have sued to block the layoffs, claiming the administration lacks the authority to fire workers permanently during a funding lapse. The Justice Department fired back, arguing the court has no power to stop the process.
Judge Illston has expedited the case, but as of now, the layoffs stand. For thousands of federal workers, the shutdown has turned from political drama into a personal financial crisis, and it may only be the beginning.
