Staff Reports
The so-called “break stuff” agenda of the federal workforce is proving relentless, with job cuts hitting agencies left and right. The Environmental Protection Agency is gearing up to shed hundreds of employees, while both the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Department of Agriculture are readying themselves for similar layoffs. The Trump administration has taken it a step further by instructing the Office of Personnel Management to target all probationary federal workers—those who haven’t yet secured the customary workplace protections that kick in after a couple of years.
Last week, around 400 Department of Homeland Security (DHS) staffers found themselves suddenly unemployed, but that was just the beginning of a targeted purge aimed at senior employees. According to sources familiar with the situation, there are plans to dismiss hundreds of high-ranking individuals within DHS who just don’t seem to be aligning with the administration’s goals. It appears that being a seasoned bureaucrat might not be the feather in one’s cap that it once was—at least not if one’s loyalties aren’t firmly with Team Trump.
Department of Homeland Security Will Not Be Stricken With 'Holdover' Cancer https://t.co/bO9ebgd2gq
— Michael J. Fell (@MichaelJFell) February 18, 2025
The strategic firings will come on the heels of broader cuts initiated at DHS, which already affected agencies including the Federal Emergency Management Agency and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. The administration’s aim is simple: prune the federal workforce while simultaneously eliminating any remnants of the previous administration that dare to impede Trump’s vision for the agency. It’s a calculated strike against those in the Senior Executive Service and General Schedule 15 positions across DHS deemed a hurdle to the President’s agenda.
DHS, a heavyweight in the realm of enforcing U.S. immigration law, is crucial in upholding the integrity of the nation’s borders. The focus on removing career employees misaligned with Trump’s directives is a refreshing change for many conservatives who have long decried the inefficiencies bred by entrenched bureaucrats from previous administrations. Trump’s not looking for a repeat of the “holdover” fiasco that plagued his early presidency, where swamp creatures from the Obama era thrived and contributed to chaos, including undermining crucial executive orders and perpetuating the Russian collusion narrative.
In the current landscape, the distinction is clear: if you’re not on Team MAGA, consider your badge at risk. In a time where loyalty to the administration’s goals appears to be the only job security, there’s a stark message being sent—you’re either with them or you’re out. And judging by the latest moves, it seems that the Trump administration is just getting warmed up in their quest to reshape the federal landscape.
