The Trump Administration revealed in a court filing Friday that more than 4,000 federal workers were fired as a result of the ongoing government shutdown.
The bulk of the layoffs took place at the Treasury Department and the Department of Health and Human Services, where roughly 1,446 employees and up to 1,200, respectively, were let go. In total, the layoffs affected at least seven Cabinet-level agencies, according to a document filed in the District Court for the Northern District of California.
With the federal government looking to downsize amidst the ongoing funding dispute, federal labor unions are currently suing in the district in an effort to halt the firings.
In addition to the aforementioned cuts, 466 employees were let go at the Department of Education, the Department of Housing and Urban Development let go of 442 employees, the Department of Commerce terminated 315 employees, the Department of Energy cut 187 employees, and the Department of Homeland Security laid off 176 employees, the New York Post reported.
The layoffs were first announced by Russ Vought, the director of the Office of Management and Budget, who announced that “reduction of force” initiatives (RIFs) were underway in a social media post Friday.
The Justice Department filing added that additional agencies have issued “a general ‘intent to RIF’ notice.” In one example, between 20 and 30 employees at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) were informed that they may be fired in the near future.
“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 DOJ filing reads. “Other Defendant agencies have made predecisional assessments regarding offices and subdivisions that may be considered for potential RIFs based on the criteria outlined in the OPM Lapse Email. But those assessments remain under deliberation and are not final,” the document added.
In response to the lawsuit aimed at stopping the terminations, the Trump Administration argued that since the RIF notices “call for separation of employment within 30 or 60 days” – the mandatory notice period the government is required to provide federal workers before the jobs are officially cut, a temporary restraining order blocking the firings would not be warranted, the New York Post reported.
“Plaintiffs fail to establish irreparable harm,” the DOJ argued. “Their asserted harms — which stem from future loss of federal employment — would not take place until weeks or months from now, if at all.”
U.S. District Judge Susan Illston, a Clinton appointee, scheduled a hearing to consider the labor unions’ request for a temporary restraining order for next Thursday.
The layoffs come as the partial government shutdown enters its 10th day, as Senate Democrats continue to refuse to back a House-passed “clean” funding stopgap that would fund the government through late November.
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