On Friday, July 11, 2025, the U.S. State Department began the direct dismissal of more than 1,350 domestically based employees as part of a major reorganization led by the Trump administration, following recent authorization from the Supreme Court.
The cuts affect 1,107 Civil Service employees and 246 Foreign Service officers based in the United States. These numbers add to a significant wave of voluntary departures, bringing the total number of reductions to around 3,000, representing nearly 15% of the department’s domestic workforce, which is estimated at 18,000 people.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the measure, claiming the department had become overly bureaucratic and inefficient, and that resources needed to be redirected toward core foreign policy functions. The decision followed a July 8 Supreme Court ruling that lifted a legal freeze on mass layoffs in the federal workforce.
Why has this move caused such controversy?
Because critics, including veteran diplomats, unions such as the American Foreign Service Association, and Democratic senators, warn that a cut of this magnitude weakens the United States’ diplomatic capacity, especially amid ongoing global conflicts like the war in Ukraine and rising tensions in the Middle East.
At the Department’s Washington headquarters, emotional scenes unfolded as dismissed employees were met with applause and hugs while leaving with boxes of their belongings. Meanwhile, delays in internal notification systems led to further confusion among staff.
Although there are currently no plans to reduce personnel at overseas missions, the closure of offices such as the Women’s Issues division has already been confirmed, with its functions being merged into regional departments.
