The Trump administration on Friday reportedly carried out the layoffs of more than 4,100 federal employees as part of a broader restructuring effort amid the ongoing government shutdown, according to a new court filing from the Justice Department.
The reductions, described as necessary by administration officials, mark one of the most sweeping efforts in decades to pare down federal bureaucracy during a funding lapse.
The move comes as unions representing government employees intensify their legal campaign to block the dismissals, arguing the administration has exceeded its authority.
U.S. District Judge Susan Illston, a Clinton appointee based in San Francisco, had ordered the White House to disclose the number of employees affected following a lawsuit filed by the American Federation of Government Employees and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. The suit was lodged just before government funding expired on Oct. 1.
Hours before Illston’s deadline, the White House Office of Management and Budget announced the reductions in force—known as RIFs—had begun after days of warnings.
A senior administration official said that the data reflected “just a snapshot in time,” noting that “more RIFs are coming” as departments assess the fiscal strain of the shutdown.
The Treasury Department bore the largest share of cuts, with 1,446 employees receiving layoff notices, according to the filing. The Department of Health and Human Services followed closely, with between 1,100 and 1,200 positions eliminated.
The Education Department lost 466 employees, while the Departments of Housing and Urban Development, Commerce, Energy, and Homeland Security saw hundreds more reductions—442, 315, 187, and 176 respectively.
In total, at least 4,100 government employees were notified Friday that their positions were being eliminated. The tally does not include about 30 staff members at the Environmental Protection Agency who were warned of potential layoffs or the 126 employees at the federal patent office who lost their jobs when the shutdown began.
“Other Defendant agencies (in addition to some of those agencies identified above) are actively considering whether to conduct additional RIFs related to the ongoing lapse in appropriations,” the Justice Department wrote.
Unions have argued that the administration may only furlough employees temporarily, not eliminate positions outright. They are asking the court to halt any further layoffs, claiming the government is using RIFs to pressure Democrats into voting for a Republican-led spending plan to reopen the government.
The White House has countered that the reductions are within its legal authority and are necessary to maintain fiscal discipline during the impasse.
Administration allies have argued that the move underscores a long-standing conservative goal: reducing the size and scope of the federal bureaucracy.
Judge Illston has scheduled a hearing for next Wednesday to consider the unions’ emergency motion after agreeing to move it up by a day. However, she declined to block the layoffs in the interim.
In its filing, the Justice Department urged the court to reject the unions’ claims outright. “In their rush to pre-litigate the validity of potential future RIFs, Plaintiffs have ignored fundamental limitations on courts’ ability to hear claims arising out of the federal employment relationship and award emergency relief,” government lawyers wrote.
While the unions press their case, the administration appears poised to continue downsizing operations across multiple agencies, signaling that the layoffs could expand in the coming days.
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