4,000 employees took "fork in the road" at Justice Dept., with more cuts to come [View all]
Source: CBS News
Updated on: June 17, 2025 / 7:50 PM EDT
The Justice Department lost 4,000 employees in the Trump administration's controversial government downsizing initiative, and critics worry those cuts will impact safety in U.S. communities. The so-called "fork in the road" deferred resignation program, which incentivized some employees to leave federal government service, reduced the manpower in the agency for an estimated savings of $470 million, according to a department budget summary reviewed by CBS News.
Further reductions are planned, according to the summary, including 1,500 positions to be eliminated in the FBI. More than 700 vacant FBI agent positions are to be part of those cuts. The reductions have been championed by the new leadership inside the Justice Department. In the agency's budget summary, referred to the cuts as part of a streamlining and right-sizing process.
"Capitalizing on increased efficiency, FBI will prioritize core missions of securing the border, eliminating transnational criminal organizations, reinforcing national security, and protecting the American people from violent crime," the department said in the summary. The cuts represent a small percentage of an agency that has approximately 105,000 employees. But former officials and law enforcement analysts said they're draining the Justice Department of experienced agents and leaders.
"The department has suffered an irreparable loss through the thousands who've left through the deferred resignation program," said Stacey Young, a former Justice Department attorney who resigned earlier this year. "Many of those who resigned wanted to stay, but they were told to take the offer or face termination," she said.
Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/4000-employees-took-fork-in-road-justice-dept-more-cuts-coming/
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