The Trump administration has begun laying off thousands of federal workers in an effort to pressure Democrats amid the ongoing government shutdown.
'The RIFs have begun,' White House Office of Management Director Russell Vought announced in a post on X on Friday morning, referring to an acronym for 'reductions in force'.
A spokesman for his office confirmed the cuts had started and were 'substantial'. Their size and scope began coming into focus later on Friday, when the administration disclosed seven agencies had started laying off more than 4,000 workers.
President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to use the shutdown to further his long-held goal of reducing the federal workforce.
By law, the federal government must give its workers at least 30 days notice that it is laying them off.
Two major unions, the American Federation of Government Employees and AFL-CIO, had filed a lawsuit challenging the legality of Vought's announced plans to carry out layoffs during the shutdown.
Among departments affected are Treasury and Health and Human Services (HHS), with notices being sent out indicating a potential range of layoffs from various agencies.
The layoffs have faced pushback, with unions asserting that the administration is using the shutdown as an excuse for illegal firings of thousands of workers who deliver vital public services.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has accused Trump and Vought of causing 'deliberate chaos', while signaling that any resolution must preserve key tax credits and reverse cuts to Medicaid.
This current shutdown began 10 days ago after lawmakers failed to agree on a funding deal, leading to a substantial disruption across the federal workforce.
The situation continues to evolve, with protests against the layoffs and uncertainty about how many workers will ultimately be affected.
