Trump Administration Lays Off Over 4,000 Federal Workers During Shutdown, Affecting Local Employees

The Trump administration began laying off federal workers on Friday as the government shutdown stretched into its 10th day, with more than 4,000 federal employees receiving layoff notices—a move that breaks with decades of precedent and directly impacts workers throughout the Inglewood and Los Angeles area.

According to a court filing, reduction-in-force notices are being sent to federal workers across seven departments, with the Treasury Department and Department of Health and Human Services accounting for more than half of the layoffs. Other affected agencies include the departments of Homeland Security, Education, Energy, Housing and Urban Development, and the Environmental Protection Agency.

The layoffs compound the already difficult situation facing federal workers in the region, including TSA officers at LAX, Veterans Affairs employees at the West Los Angeles Medical Center, and HUD staff managing housing assistance programs that serve Inglewood families.

“This is unprecedented,” said Everett Kelley, national president of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE). “In AFGE’s 93 years of existence under several presidential administrations—including during Trump’s first term—no president has ever decided to fire thousands of furloughed workers during a government shutdown.”

While many federal workers have been furloughed during previous shutdowns, permanently laying off government employees during a funding lapse is highly unusual. The White House has repeatedly blamed congressional Democrats for not reopening the government, but administrations are not required to cut jobs when government funding lapses—making these layoffs a policy choice rather than a necessity.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer criticized the decision, stating: “Let’s be blunt: nobody’s forcing Trump and [Budget Director Russ] Vought to do this. They don’t have to do it; they want to.”

For Inglewood residents working in federal positions or depending on federal services, the layoffs add another layer of uncertainty to an already stressful situation. Many federal employees in the area have been working without pay since the shutdown began on October 1, and now face the prospect of permanent job loss.

AFGE and other unions representing federal workers have filed a lawsuit in California federal court seeking to stop the mass layoffs, arguing they are illegal. The legal challenge claims the administration is violating federal employment protections and civil service rules.

Local community organizations continue mobilizing to support affected families, with food banks, bill payment assistance programs, and job placement services seeing increased demand as the shutdown drags on with no resolution in sight.

This story draws on information from NBC News, NPR, Government Executive, and The Washington Post.