AFSA Urges State Department to Halt Mass Layoffs Amid Legal Battle

The American Foreign Service Association (AFSA) is urging the U.S. State Department to pause a controversial reorganization plan that could result in approximately 2,000 job cuts. Citing a court ruling that bars federal agencies from executing mass layoffs, AFSA called on the department to comply with the legal order unless the U.S. Supreme Court intervenes.

Sources indicate that the department may begin issuing reduction-in-force notices as early as this week, although ongoing litigation could delay the move. The Supreme Court has yet to weigh in on the Trump administration’s request to lift the judicial block.

AFSA President Tom Yazdgerdi warned that layoffs could be announced imminently, stressing that “unless the Supreme Court intervenes, the department is legally barred from taking any action outlined in its reorganization plans.” However, a senior State Department official denied AFSA’s claims, stating the department has no plans to violate any court order.

The restructuring plan, revealed to Congress in May, aims to reduce the State Department’s domestic workforce by 3,448 positions out of 18,780 as of early May. The overhaul includes eliminating or merging over 300 of the department’s 734 offices and could impact up to 700 Foreign Service officers. Around 1,500 additional employees are expected to receive deferred resignation notices.

Originally slated for implementation by July 1, the plan was temporarily halted by a California federal judge on June 13. The Department of Justice confirmed the delay, stating no layoff notices would be sent as planned on June 14.

This major reorganization aligns with President Donald Trump’s broader goal of downsizing federal agencies, cutting spending, and advancing his “America First” agenda, despite resistance from unions and ongoing legal challenges.