“Do we really need whatever it is, 428, federal agencies?” Musk said in an interview before Trump’s inauguration earlier this year. “I think we should be able to get away with 99 agencies.”

Stages of the overhaul

With Musk, the world’s richest man, by his side, Trump signed an executive order on Feb. 11 calling for federal agencies to “promptly undertake preparations to initiate large-scale reductions in force” in 30 days.

The first step, or “Phase 1,” of the Trump administration’s widespread downsizing efforts is due today, according to an Office of Management and Budget memo sent to agency bosses.

According to guidance provided to agency leaders, agency offices are expected to explain which parts of agencies are required by law, whether “the agency or any of its subcomponents should be eliminated or consolidated,” and which areas provide “direct service to citizens.”

They are expected to outline how they will execute “a significant reduction” in full-time positions, less use of real estate while requiring all employees to return to the office, and a smaller budget. The Trump administration previously published a list of over 400 federal buildings across the country it could sell before retracting it hours later.

Agency leaders were also directed to describe the tools they intend to use to “achieve efficiencies,” including through expected staff reductions in coming years.

“Phase 2” plans are due April 14. By next month, agency bosses will need to plan an expansion to overhaul their operations. That plan should include any proposals to relocate agency offices from Washington to other parts of the country, targets for “subsequent large-scale RIFs,” and agencies’ plans to renegotiate provisions of collective bargaining agreements deemed to “inhibit government efficiency and cost-savings.”

“Phase 2” plans must be implemented by Sept. 20, per the administration. 

Federal law generally requires agencies to give employees 60 days’ notice before they are fired. However, the Office of Personnel Management is allowed to shorten this notice period to 30 days. In its memo to agencies, OPM outlined a timeline that includes this 60-day notice period, which can be shortened to 30 days if the office provides that waiver.

Where layoffs have already taken place 

The majority of agencies have already seen widespread layoffs.

Early in the Trump administration, all federal employees were sent an email with the subject “Fork in the Road,” which mirrors an email Musk sent to Twitter, now X, employees before he made widespread cuts. The email allowed government workers to keep their roles if they did not want to “return to the office” as Trump mandated and preferred to continue with their prearranged telework agreements through September. 

According to the White House, which had hoped 5-10% of the federal workforce would accept the deal, 5% of workers took the “deferred resignation” agreement.

The Education Department announced plans to slash about half of its workforce this week as Trump looks to fulfill his promise of shuttering the agency entirely, a longtime wish of the Republican Party.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration laid off 20% of its workforce, which experts say could gravely harm weather forecasting. Those laid off include meteorologists, scientists responsible for building weather models, hydrologists, and staff responsible for warning the public about deadly natural disasters such as tsunamis, hurricanes, and tornadoes.

More than 76,000 employees at the Department of Veterans Affairs are expected to be laid off, accounting for about 16% of staff, according to government data.

The Internal Revenue Service is slated to slash half of its workforce at the height of tax season. 

Trump previously said that Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin planned to cut 65% of the staff at EPA, which the White House later walked back after backlash, claiming that Zeldin aimed to cut about 65% of the agency’s spending, not its workforce.

“Everyone is very conscious of the deadline for EPA to submit a reorganization and [reduction in force] plan,” Nicole Cantello, the president of a local union that represents EPA regional workers, told Politico.

“EPA workers continue to be concerned that EPA will close many offices around the country,” Cantello said. “Our scientists and engineers know that all EPA office buildings are essential to protecting human health and the environment.”

Legal pushback

These mass layoffs have received significant pushback from lawmakers and lawsuits. Some have introduced legislation to rehire some of those fired by DOGE efforts. Democratic Attorney Generals have also filed various lawsuits targeting Musk’s unclear role in the White House.

Last week, a group of labor unions asked a federal court for an emergency order to stop DOGE from accessing the sensitive Social Security data of millions of Americans.

In one of the most notable rebukes to the Trump administration’s firings, a federal judge in California ordered six federal agencies, the Departments of Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, Defense, Energy, Interior, and Treasury, to reinstate probationary employees who were fired last month on Thursday. California Judge William Alsup ordered the agencies to “immediately” offer all fired probationary employees their jobs back.

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He found that their terminations by the OPM were unlawful.

“It is a sad day when our government would fire some good employee and say it was based on performance when they know good and well that’s a lie,” Alsup said at the end of a hearing on the union’s request for a preliminary injunction. “That should not have been done in our country. It was a sham in order to avoid statutory requirements.”