The Central Intelligence Agency has begun a wave of layoffs targeting probationary employees, summoning officers hired within the last two years to off-site locations, where they are being dismissed and forced to surrender their badges, according to three people briefed on the matter.
President Trump previously stated that federal agencies would begin implementing workforce reductions following the example set by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in the first month of his second term. CIA Director John Ratcliffe moved swiftly to enact these cuts after a court ruling granted him broad authority to dismiss employees at will.
Judge Anthony J. Trenga of the Eastern District of Virginia issued the decision in a lawsuit filed by CIA officers who had worked on diversity and recruitment initiatives under the prior administration. These employees were removed following Trump’s directive to eliminate all diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs from the federal government. However, Trenga’s ruling went further, granting Ratcliffe the authority to terminate any CIA officer for any reason without the right to appeal. The ruling rejected arguments that the firings violated the 14th Amendment’s due process protections and the First Amendment’s free speech rights.
After reviewing the decision, the CIA’s general counsel approved Ratcliffe’s plan to reduce agency personnel. Officers selected for termination were called to an off-site location without explanation and instructed to turn in their credentials, preventing further access to CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia.
A spokesperson stated that the layoffs primarily affected those hired within the past two years, as their employment status remained under review. However, some officials insisted the firings were strictly performance-based. Sources noted that fewer cuts were occurring in high-priority areas such as intelligence operations focused on China and Mexican drug cartels.
