Overview

• On July 11, layoff notices were sent to 1,353 U.S.-based State Department employees, including 1,107 civil servants and 246 foreign service officers.
• These notifications represent the initial phase of a reorganization projected to reduce the domestic workforce by about 3,000 positions, counting voluntary departures.
• A Supreme Court ruling earlier this month lifted a legal stay and cleared the way for the administration to proceed with the staffing reductions.
• Secretary Marco Rubio says the measures will eliminate bureaucratic redundancies and perceived ideological biases to refocus on core American values.
• Critics warn the downsizing, part of a broader Department of Government Efficiency initiative, could weaken U.S. diplomatic reach in the face of competition from China and Russia.