President Donald Trump’s administration has started laying off federal employees as the U.S. government shutdown enters its tenth day — a move that has sparked widespread legal and political backlash.
According to Al Jazeera and Politico, the layoffs affect multiple agencies, including the Treasury, Health and Human Services (HHS), Interior, Homeland Security, EPA, Commerce, and Education. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director, Russell Vought, confirmed on Friday that “reduction-in-force” measures were underway.
HHS defended the move, blaming the “Democrat-led shutdown” and claiming that only non-essential staff were affected. Meanwhile, President Trump has publicly tied the cuts to his plan to eliminate what he calls “Democrat programmes,” targeting billions in funding for infrastructure, climate, and social initiatives.
Federal workers’ unions, including the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), have filed lawsuits calling the layoffs illegal, arguing that employees should be furloughed rather than terminated. AFGE President Everett Kelley condemned the decision as “a disgraceful abuse of power.”
Despite the controversy, the U.S. Supreme Court has allowed the layoffs to continue while lower courts review the case. The unprecedented move marks a new escalation in Trump’s long-standing push to shrink the federal workforce and expand executive control amid a deepening budget standoff.
