Agencies Prepare for Prompt Action on RIFs Following Potential Court Lifting of Injunction
The Trump administration is pressing ahead with its plans for layoffs and reorganization at major federal agencies, despite a court order blocking such actions.
According to reports, the State Department's Reduction in Force (RIF) plans are separate from President Trump's orders and therefore not subject to the pause. This means the department is hoping to move forward with its RIFs, even if the court order remains in place.
At the Interior Department, all necessary files for implementing layoffs are reportedly in place. Employees have been encouraged to seek other opportunities if layoffs occur, and RIFs at the department are expected to take place "ASAP" upon the potential injunction lift. The department is prepared to implement layoffs involving over 1,500 employees at the National Park Service, 1,000 employees at the U.S. Geological Survey, and more at other components.
The Interior Department did not respond to a request for comment.
The Agriculture Department is also ready to deploy a major reorganization, including thousands of layoffs and relocations, as soon as the court order is lifted. Preliminary efforts for preparedness are still ongoing at various agencies. A USDA spokesperson did not comment on the pending litigation.
The workplace at the Agriculture Department has taken on an eerie quality as leadership has gone silent and all weekly meetings have been canceled. Some senior executives have been sent out on temporary assignments at the state level to conduct "busy work."
Secretary Brooke Rollins of the Agriculture Department has stated that the reorganization plan is ready to be announced. The plan, according to Rollins, aims to realign and refocus the department around its original intended mission.
The Trump administration is seeking relief from the court order, with the State Department's RIF plans potentially violating the court's mandate and set to be addressed in a hearing next week. If the court order is lifted, thousands of civil servants could lose their jobs.
There are no publicly available search results indicating which federal authorities have already prepared to quickly implement employee dismissals in the event that a judicial order blocking such dismissals is lifted.
The news of these planned layoffs and reorganizations has caused concern among employees and advocacy groups, who argue that such changes could disrupt vital services and undermine the integrity of federal agencies. The court order blocking these actions is still in effect, and the outcome of the upcoming hearing remains uncertain.
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