US State Department Layoffs: Massive Layoffs Impact US State Department Amid Controversial Cuts, ETHRWorldSEA
By ,
Agencies
More than 1,300 US State Department employees were laid off recently as part of President Donald Trump's aggressive push to reduce the size of the federal workforce. The cuts, which affect 1,107 civil service workers and 246 Foreign Service officers, were carried out shortly after the Supreme Court cleared the administration's path to implement widespread layoffs across federal agencies.The terminations, announced via email, triggered emotional scenes at the department's Washington headquarters, with staff applauding and tearfully bidding farewell to departing colleagues. Civil service employees will exit within 60 days, while Foreign Service officers will be on administrative leave for 120 days before separation.Trump's administration has framed the layoffs as part of its plan to dismantle what it terms the 'deep state' and bring in political loyalists. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has justified the cuts as a necessary 15% reduction in what he describes as a bloated bureaucracy. But the move has been sharply criticised by career diplomats, former officials, and the American Foreign Service Association (AFSA), which called the firings 'a catastrophic blow to our national interests.'Critics warn the decision could severely impair US diplomatic capabilities amid global crises, including conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. Former State Department officials argue the abrupt dismissals undermine national security and demoralise a workforce that plays a frontline role in representing American interests abroad.The US Agency for International Development (USAID) has also been largely dismantled, adding to concerns over the long-term impact of sweeping cuts on America's foreign policy infrastructure.
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