Thousands of federal employees across the country are reeling from a wave of abrupt layoffs initiated by the Trump Administration, targeting probationary workers with less than two years of service. The cuts, which began last Thursday, have sent shockwaves through government agencies, prompting widespread condemnation and setting the stage for legal battles.
A U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) worker in Phoenix was stunned when he received his termination letter, citing “performance issues.” The worker, who had been on the job for just six weeks, says no one had raised any concerns before the dismissal. “There’s no way to tie me to a specific performance issue,” he told TIME, speaking anonymously.
He is one of thousands affected by the sweeping layoffs, which have hit multiple agencies, including the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The VA alone let go of more than 1,000 employees in a single day, with officials claiming the move would save $98 million per year.
A Radical Overhaul
The layoffs are part of a broader effort led by the Trump Administration and the newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), an initiative overseen by billionaire Elon Musk. The goal: streamline government operations and cut costs. Musk has publicly advocated for eliminating entire agencies, likening them to “weeds” that need to be removed.
Government unions and legal experts argue that many of these firings may be unlawful. The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) has vowed to challenge the layoffs in court, with President Everett Kelley calling the terminations “a violation of workers’ rights” and an attempt to “gut the federal government.”
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM)—now led by Musk allies—has justified the cuts by claiming probationary employees must prove their value to the government before their appointments are finalized.
Fallout and Employee Backlash
The layoffs have left federal employees shaken and scrambling. Some workers received pre-recorded termination messages, while others had their government access revoked instantly.
A senior IRS agent in New York who was hired in July expects to be fired soon. “I feel like the administration is demonizing federal workers,” he said.
An HR manager at the VA’s health administration, with more than two decades of experience, called the mass firings “the worst I’ve ever seen.” He revealed that even agency leaders were blindsided, learning about the terminations at the same time as the employees.
A lifelong Republican, he now regrets supporting Trump. “I voted for him three times. Never again,” he said, vowing to vote Democrat in the next election.
Buyouts and Skepticism
The layoffs follow a controversial buyout program, which offered federal employees a chance to leave their jobs voluntarily while continuing to receive pay through September. The White House claims 77,000 workers took the offer, but others declined, fearing the deal lacked proper funding.
“It’s a joke,” said a probationary IRS agent. “Nobody trusted it.”
Jordain Solis, a 27-year-old fuel compliance officer at the IRS, accepted the buyout, saying he no longer felt valued. “I didn’t want to work for a country that doesn’t respect public servants.”
A Government in Turmoil
The legal and political fallout from these cuts is just beginning. Many agencies are uncertain about the future, and federal workers are on edge. “Even senior leadership doesn’t know what’s happening,” one dismissed USDA worker said.
For now, the Trump Administration appears determined to push forward, despite growing legal challenges and bipartisan concerns that the cuts could cripple government functions.
A soon-to-be-fired IRS agent put it bluntly: “It’s funny—we have smart businessmen running this, but the last thing you do in business is cut your revenue stream. The IRS is the revenue stream. Cutting us doesn’t make any sense.”
