NEWS GLEAMS | Over 10,000 Federal Workers Fired; Local Venezuelan Migrant Among Dozens Sent to Guantanamo Bay

Summary

Over 10,000 Federal Workers Fired by Trump Administration

Groups Raise Awareness for Local Venezuelan Migrant Sent to Guantanamo Bay

Democracy Happy Hour Presents a Panel on Local Media and Its Impact on Democracy

Over the course of Presidents Day weekend, more than 10,000 federal workers were fired from their jobs. President Donald Trump and top adviser Elon Musk — who runs the government's newly-created DOGE, or Department of Government Efficiency — cite a need for large-scale reductions that will save the federal government money.

The majority of recent firings targeted "probationary" employees who are in the first year or two of their roles and may have fewer employment protections or opportunities to appeal the terminations. A smaller number of long-term employees also lost their jobs.

A wide array of federal departments were affected, such as the Departments of Energy, Interior, Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, and Health and Human Services, as well as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institutes of Health, U.S. Forest Service, and National Park Service. Additional layoffs are expected at the Internal Revenue Service and other departments.

One week prior, the Trump administration had asked federal employees to leave voluntarily to receive some benefits — as opposed to awaiting their fate under the new government. About 75,000 federal workers opted for that choice, though some legal experts argue that their benefits are not guaranteed.

The 10,000 job cuts in the recent wave, paired with the 75,000 from the previous, amount to about 4% of the 2.3 million workers who serve the federal government.

Last Friday, a coalition of five federal unions sued the Trump administration in an attempt to block the mass firings. They also cited the previous call for federal workers to leave voluntarily as being in violation of congressional rights, as Congress is the branch of government tasked with establishing and defining parameters around federal workforces. The lawsuit stated, "The Executive Branch acting as the 'woodchipper for bureaucracy' conflicts with Congress's role as the creator, funder, and mission setter for the executive branch agencies."

In response, the Department of Justice claimed Trump's actions were "consistent with applicable law." It said, "[T]he President is charged with directing the Executive Branch workforce, and he has determined that the politically accountable heads of his agencies should take steps to streamline and modernize the workforce through measures including voluntary deferred resignations, removal of certain probationary employees, and RIFs [reductions in force]."

As of Tuesday morning, a federal judge had heard the case but did not issue a ruling on the temporary restraining order the unions were seeking. He stated he would issue a ruling "sooner than later."

Other recent high-profile attempts by DOGE and the Trump administration have included a complete funding freeze impacting the work of USAID, or the U.S. Agency for International Development. USAID operates a large number of programs around the world centered on the alleviation of poverty and disease and other humanitarian needs. On Valentine's Day, a federal judge ordered the funding freeze lifted. He stated that the Trump administration "have not offered any explanation for why a blanket suspension of all congressionally appropriated foreign aid … was a rational precursor to reviewing programs."

A number of employees were also fired in the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which serves as a consumer watchdog that holds businesses accountable; further firings at the department have been temporarily paused by a court order.

With the support of a number of migrant groups, the family of Venezuelan migrant José Medina Andrade, 29, hosted a press conference over the weekend to raise awareness that their beloved family member was among 53 Venezuelan citizens recently sent to Guantanamo Bay without due process. The family stresses that Medina Andrade is a beloved brother, son, and father who was falsely accused by the federal government of being a gang member. They allege that Medina Andrade — who entered the U.S. in 2023 and again in 2024 — originally fled his home country because of death threats from Venezuelan gangs.

"What they are saying is lies. He was running from the very gang they are accusing him of being in," his sister said in Spanish during the press conference located downtown in front of the federal courthouse.

Medina Andrade was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Nov. 14 in Renton on an immigration-related charge. He was then moved to a detention center in El Paso, Texas, before being sent to Guantanamo Bay on Feb. 7.

A detention facility and U.S. naval base located in Cuba, Guantanamo Bay was opened in 2002 and quickly became a crucial site for the George W. Bush administration's war on terrorism. It made international headlines for holding and torturing nearly 800 Muslim men and boys at the height of its use, with the majority never receiving formal charges or trials.

Medina Andrade's family first fully confirmed that he was sent to Guantanamo Bay following an article published by The New York Times that published the list of all 53 migrants. The Times noted that it did not independently assess whether the Trump administration was accurate in its statements that the men were gang members or "high-threat illegal aliens." The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said the men were detained for illegally entering the country — a charge that is usually a misdemeanor.

Prior to the confirmation in The New York Times, on Feb. 7, Medina Andrade's family received a call from a detainee in the Texas detention center who warned them that Medina Andrade had been transferred to Guantánamo Bay. The family did not understand the implications of the transfer until local activist groups explained to them the history and significance of the Guantánamo Bay detention center.

In a late January executive order, "Expanding Migrant Operations Center at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay to Full Capacity," President Trump called for Guantanamo Bay to be expanded to "full capacity … in order to halt the border invasion, dismantle criminal cartels, and restore national sovereignty."

Organizations supporting Medina Andrade's family at the press conference included International Migrants Alliance (IMA), Capybara Colectiva, and the International League of Peoples' Struggle, which are calling on government officials to free the detainees at Guantanamo Bay.

IMA is collecting donations to support the family and campaign via Venmo, @IMA-WA.

In an event hosted by Fix Democracy First, local journalism leaders and media scholars will be hosting a democracy-related panel discussion regarding themes of shrinking newsrooms, media consolidation, and how to support local journalism in the modern day.

Guest panelists include:

• Marcus Harrison Green, publisher at Hinton Publishing and founder and publisher of the South Seattle Emerald.

• Chardonnay Beaver, author and multimedia storyteller, The Facts Newspaper. 

• Michelle Goldchain, social media and video editor at WTOP News.

• Andrea Otáñez, professor of journalism and public interest at the University of Washington.

• Joanna M. Lisosky, Ph.D., professor emerita at Pacific Lutheran University and co-author of the League of Women Voters Journalism Study. 

The panel takes place virtually on Wednesday, Feb. 26, from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Register for the virtual event at https://bit.ly/DemocracyHappyHour; the event is part of an ongoing weekly series centered around the latest news on democracy.

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