The U.S. State Department is firing more than 1,300 employees on Friday, in line with a dramatic reorganization plan from the Trump administration that critics say will damage America's global leadership and efforts to counter threats abroad.
The department has begun sending layoff notices to 1,107 civil servants and 246 foreign service officers with domestic assignments in the United States, according to a senior department official.
Foreign service officers affected will be placed immediately on administrative leave for 120 days, after which they will formally lose their jobs. For most civil servants, the separation period is 60 days.