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President Trump has swiftly initiated significant changes to federal government staffing in his first week, implementing removals and reassignments while seeking to expand his authority over federal employee dismissals.

The administration’s rapid reorganization of government personnel has captured considerable attention throughout federal departments. Notable changes include the departure of 160 National Security Council staff members, the reassignment of 20 senior Justice Department attorneys, and the dismissal of leadership at the Transportation Security Administration and Coast Guard.

Diversity-focused government offices are being shuttered, with employees placed on administrative leave. Meanwhile, multiple executive orders reversing Biden-era policies have created widespread uncertainty among federal workers about their future roles.

In a Tuesday announcement, Trump revealed plans to remove more than 1,000 Biden appointees. The White House has not addressed concerns raised by government employees regarding these changes.

These actions align with Trump’s campaign promises to streamline government operations and reform bureaucratic structures. The sweeping nature of these changes has caught many federal workers and public sector unions off guard, despite their expectations of administrative shifts.

“A lot of people did not expect him to act with such a broad stroke,” said Don Quinn, an employment lawyer who represents federal employees. “And so there’s definitely a sense of disbelief. There’s fear – people are concerned about their livelihood, people are concerned about their families.”

Steve Lenkart, executive director of the National Federation of Federal Employees, shared his experience teaching a class of 30 federal employees on Thursday. “It was just stunned silence,” said Lenkart, whose union represents 110,000 workers. “Everyone is on pins and needles.”

Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Linda Lee Fagan’s removal, partly attributed to her emphasis on diversity initiatives according to a Department of Homeland Security official, exemplifies the administration’s new direction. A Tuesday memo announced the closure of federal DEI offices, with staff placed on paid leave by Wednesday evening.

Agency leaders must identify probationary employees by Friday, as these workers face easier dismissal. A federal hiring freeze has been implemented, excluding military, immigration enforcement, national security, and public safety positions.

The administration’s executive order aims to facilitate federal worker dismissals through job status reclassification, prompting legal action from the National Treasury Employees Union. The union’s lawsuit challenges the order’s application of political appointee rules to career staff.

Don Moynihan, a Ford School of Public Policy professor at the University of Michigan, suggests the new classification could affect hundreds of thousands of the 2.2 million federal employees, as most positions involve some policy work.

The American Federation of Government Employees’ national president, Everett Kelley, reports widespread anxiety among members about their employment future and family stability.