Over 1,300 State Department Staff Laid Off in Major Shakeup

AFP/APP

Washington: More than 1,300 employees of the U.S. State Department were laid off on Friday as part of a sweeping downsizing initiative ordered by President Donald Trump.

The move, framed by the administration as a step toward reducing a “bloated government,” has drawn strong criticism from diplomats, union representatives, and former officials who warn it will significantly weaken American global influence.

Emotional scenes unfolded at the department’s headquarters in Washington, where colleagues applauded and embraced departing staff. Some employees were seen in tears, carrying boxes of personal belongings as they exited the building.

According to a senior State Department official, the layoffs included 1,107 members of the civil service and 246 Foreign Service officers.

The mass terminations followed a Supreme Court decision earlier this week that cleared the way for the Trump administration to begin implementing its broader plan to drastically cut federal government staff.

The court’s conservative majority lifted a lower court’s temporary block on the plan, enabling the administration to proceed with what could be tens of thousands of layoffs across various agencies.

President Trump, 79, has long pledged to dismantle what he describes as the “deep state.” Since taking office in January, he has prioritized replacing career officials with personal loyalists, triggering widespread dismissals across key government institutions.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the move, stating that the department is “too cumbersome” and in need of a 15 percent reduction in workforce.

However, the American Foreign Service Association (AFSA), the union representing U.S. diplomats and department staff, issued a scathing rebuke.

“At a moment of great global instability — with war raging in Ukraine, conflict between Israel and Iran, and authoritarian regimes testing the boundaries of international order — the United States has chosen to gut its frontline diplomatic workforce,” AFSA said in a statement. “We oppose this decision in the strongest terms.”

The State Department employed over 80,000 people globally last year, including approximately 17,700 in domestic roles. The US Agency for International Development (USAID), a key instrument for delivering American humanitarian aid abroad, has already been largely dismantled under the administration’s overhaul.

According to The Washington Post, employees were notified of their termination via email. Foreign Service officers will be placed on administrative leave immediately and officially separated after 120 days, while civil service staff will depart after 60 days.

Ned Price, who served as State Department spokesperson under former President Joe Biden, criticized the process as “haphazard and damaging.”

“For all the talk about ‘merit-based’ decisions, they’re firing officers based on where they happen to be assigned on this arbitrary day,” Price posted on X (formerly Twitter). “It’s the laziest, most inefficient, and most damaging way to downsize the workforce.”

Barbara Leaf, a former ambassador and Biden’s top Middle East diplomat, echoed these concerns, warning of grave national security implications.

“This is not a reorganization. This is a purge,” she wrote in a LinkedIn post. “It will have terrible consequences for our ability to protect American citizens abroad, defend national interests, and ensure our security.”