Overview

• Layoff notices began July 11 for 1,107 civil servants and 246 U.S.-based Foreign Service officers under the administration’s reduction-in-force actions.
• Affected Foreign Service officers will enter 120 days of administrative leave before formal termination and most civil servants face a 60-day separation period.
• The Supreme Court lifted a lower-court injunction on July 9, allowing the Trump administration to proceed with mass federal layoffs despite ongoing lawsuits.
• Secretary Rubio’s reorganization eliminates over 300 domestic offices, merges redundant functions including USAID operations and establishes threat-focused bureaus to streamline operations.
• Congressional Democrats, the American Foreign Service Association and veteran diplomats warn that steep cuts to institutional expertise could undermine U.S. diplomatic influence during worldwide crises.