Reductions in force: A look at which agencies are affected by DOGE-led job cuts

WASHINGTON — The deep cuts across federal agencies since Donald Trump’s return to the White House include reductions in force, which mean not only layoffs but also elimination of positions altogether. The department sent an email to employees Tuesday telling them its Washington headquarters and regional offices would be closed Wednesday and reopen Thursday, with the only reason given for the closures being unspecified “security reasons.” Department officials said they would continue to deliver on key functions such as the distribution of federal aid to schools, student loan management and oversight of Pell Grants. The memo instructs top-level staff to prepare for an agency-wide reorganization in August to “resize and tailor the workforce to the mission and revised structure.” It also calls for agency officials to work with Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency to “move out aggressively, while taking a pragmatic and disciplined approach” to the Trump administration’s goals. The organization also offered IRS employees — along with almost all federal employees across the government — “deferred resignation program” buyouts, though IRS employees involved in the 2025 tax season were told last month that they would not be allowed to accept a buyout offer from the Trump administration until mid-May, after the taxpayer filing deadline.