Over 1,300 State Department Employees Fired Under Trump’s Controversial Reorganization Plan

In a sweeping move criticized by diplomats and lawmakers alike, the US State Department on Friday laid off over 1,300 employees as part of the Trump administration’s dramatic reorganization effort.

The dismissals affected 1,107 civil servants and 246 foreign service officers, according to a senior official, and came amid growing concerns over America’s diplomatic capabilities in an increasingly volatile world.

Employees were informed their positions were being “abolished” and told they would lose access to the department’s headquarters and systems by 5 p.m. Many were seen packing up their belongings while protests unfolded outside the building. Demonstrators, including former diplomats, lawmakers, and members of the public, carried signs reading “Thank you to America’s diplomats” and “We all deserve better.”

“This is not the way to treat people who served their country,” said Anne Bodine, a retired diplomat who served in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The job cuts follow a Supreme Court ruling that cleared the way for mass federal layoffs, even as legal challenges to the reorganization continue. Affected foreign service officers will be placed on 120 days of administrative leave, while civil servants face a 60-day separation period.

Supporters of the cuts, including President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, argue they are necessary to make the department leaner and more efficient. Rubio, defending the move from Malaysia, emphasized that it was about eliminating positions — not people. “If you close the bureau, you don’t need those positions,” he said.

The layoffs are part of broader efforts to shrink government and eliminate departments like USAID, which was recently folded into the State Department after dramatic funding cuts. The reorganization will impact over 300 bureaus and offices, targeting those involved in refugee programs, immigration, human rights, and democracy promotion — areas the administration sees as ideologically misaligned with its priorities.

Critics warned that the restructuring would severely erode US diplomatic strength. “These layoffs are untethered from merit or mission,” the American Foreign Service Association said in a statement. “Losing more diplomatic expertise at this critical global moment is a catastrophic blow to our national interests.”

As the layoffs took effect, signs bearing messages like “Resist fascism” were posted in discreet areas of the building. One dismissed employee who helped distribute them said, “Nobody wants to feel like these guys can just get away with this.”

Among the hardest hit was the Office of the Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts, where entire teams were reportedly dismissed. Jessica Bradley Rushing, previously on administrative leave from CARE, said, “I never even anticipated that I could be at risk again… every person on my team received a notice.”

With experts and former officials warning of long-term damage to US foreign policy, the reorganization marks one of the most consequential overhauls in the State Department’s history — one that many fear comes at a steep diplomatic cost.