The cuts eliminate 1,107 civil service and 246 foreign service positions, following earlier voluntary exits by 1,500 staff aiming for an 18% departmental reduction.

Critical programs absorbed severe impacts, including refugee resettlement under the Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration and Afghan ally evacuation efforts via the Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts (CARE). Employees shared emotional departures on social media, while protesters outside headquarters displayed signs like “Thank you America’s diplomats,” criticizing the cuts’ abruptness.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the move from Malaysia, stating layoffs resulted from bureau closures rather than targeting individuals. “Positions attached to shut-down programs become redundant,” he asserted. Democratic senators on the Foreign Relations Committee condemned the reductions in a joint statement, warning they “undermine national security” and comparing the approach to “Elon Musk’s failed DOGE initiative” as a cautionary analogy.

The Supreme Court recently upheld the administration’s workforce downsizing authority. These changes align with President Trump’s campaign pledge to cut government spending, though they raise alarms about diplomatic capacity. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) ceased operations this month, with most programs scrapped by March and residual functions shifting to State on July 1.