Trump admin hires 50,000 for national security; to layoff 300k federal workers this year
ICE, which plays a central role in the administration's immigration and border security policies, accounts for the bulk of these new hires
- Nov 14, 2025,
- Updated Nov 14, 2025 11:14 AM IST
The U.S. government has added 50,000 new employees since President Donald Trump's inauguration, with the majority taking roles within national security agencies, according to Scott Kupor, the federal human resources director. ICE, which plays a central role in the administration's immigration and border security policies, accounts for the bulk of these new hires.
"This is part of a broader effort to reshape the federal workforce around the administration’s priorities," Kupor stated in an interview on Thursday.
The new hires are in contrast to the broader trend of job cuts across other federal agencies. For example, while positions in national security have been filled, agencies like the Internal Revenue Service and the Department of Health and Human Services have seen hiring freezes and layoffs.
As part of its strategy, the Trump administration expects to reduce the federal workforce by around 300,000 positions in the coming year. Kupor confirmed this projection in August, outlining a drastic reshaping of the U.S. government’s workforce.
In January, Trump appointed billionaire Elon Musk to oversee a project aimed at downsizing the 2.4 million-strong federal civilian workforce. Musk, supported by Trump, argued that the government’s workforce had become too large and inefficient.
This downsizing has had wide-reaching impacts, particularly in areas like civil rights enforcement, tax collection, and clean energy initiatives. As part of the cuts, about 154,000 employees took buyouts, affecting services from weather forecasting to food safety and health programs.
(With inputs from Reuters)
The U.S. government has added 50,000 new employees since President Donald Trump's inauguration, with the majority taking roles within national security agencies, according to Scott Kupor, the federal human resources director. ICE, which plays a central role in the administration's immigration and border security policies, accounts for the bulk of these new hires.
"This is part of a broader effort to reshape the federal workforce around the administration’s priorities," Kupor stated in an interview on Thursday.
The new hires are in contrast to the broader trend of job cuts across other federal agencies. For example, while positions in national security have been filled, agencies like the Internal Revenue Service and the Department of Health and Human Services have seen hiring freezes and layoffs.
As part of its strategy, the Trump administration expects to reduce the federal workforce by around 300,000 positions in the coming year. Kupor confirmed this projection in August, outlining a drastic reshaping of the U.S. government’s workforce.
In January, Trump appointed billionaire Elon Musk to oversee a project aimed at downsizing the 2.4 million-strong federal civilian workforce. Musk, supported by Trump, argued that the government’s workforce had become too large and inefficient.
This downsizing has had wide-reaching impacts, particularly in areas like civil rights enforcement, tax collection, and clean energy initiatives. As part of the cuts, about 154,000 employees took buyouts, affecting services from weather forecasting to food safety and health programs.
(With inputs from Reuters)