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Tag: federal

Department of Education warns that public schools must remove DEI policies or lose federal funding

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The Department of Education is warning state education departments that they must remove diversity, equity and inclusion policies or risk losing federal funding.

A letter from the Department of Education Office for Civil Rights was sent to the departments of education in all 50 states, notifying them that they have no more than 14 days to comply. The letter was shared on social media by the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency.

“Institutions that fail to comply with federal civil rights law may, consistent with applicable law, face potential loss of federal funding,” Craig Trainor, acting assistant secretary for civil rights in the Department of Education, said in the letter.

The letter said the “overt and covert racial discrimination that has become widespread in this Nation’s educational institutions” will no longer be tolerated.

TRUMP EDUCATION NOMINEE LINDA MCMAHON SAYS SHUTTING DOWN DOE WOULD ‘REQUIRE CONGRESSIONAL ACTION’

The U.S. Department of Education building is seen in Washington, Nov. 18, 2024. (Jose Luis Magana/AP)

It argues that a Supreme Court ruling in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, which found that affirmative action in Harvard University’s admission process violated the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, should apply more broadly.

“The law is clear: treating students differently on the basis of race to achieve nebulous goals such as diversity, racial balancing, social justice, or equity is illegal under controlling Supreme Court precedent,” the letter reads.

DEMS SPAR OVER DOGE CUTS WITH TRUMP EDUCATION NOMINEE LINDA MCMAHON

The U.S. Department of Education building is seen on August 21, 2024, in Washington, D.C. (Getty Images)

Trainor said the Department of Education will “vigorously enforce the law on equal terms as to all preschool, elementary, secondary, and postsecondary educational institutions, as well as state educational agencies, that receive financial assistance.”

The letter urges state education departments to “ensure that their policies and actions comply with existing civil rights law … cease all efforts to circumvent prohibitions on the use of race by relying on proxies or other indirect means to accomplish such ends” and “cease all reliance on third-party contractors, clearinghouses, or aggregators that are being used by institutions in an effort to circumvent prohibited uses of race.”

The U.S. Department of Education building in Washington, D.C. (STEFANI REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)

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The letter comes after President Donald Trump signed executive orders directing agencies to provide a plan to eliminate federal funding for “illegal and discriminatory treatment and indoctrination in K-12 schools, including based on gender ideology and discriminatory equity ideology.” He also signed orders to end DEI programs in federal agencies.

The Department of Education previously announced the removal of mention of DEI from documents and websites. The department also placed employees that led DEI initiatives on leave and dissolved its Diversity & Inclusion Council.

February 15, 2025
Federal judge hears Labor Department’s renewed request to block DOGE access

A federal judge on Friday indefinitely delayed a final ruling on the Labor Department’s request to block Elon Musk’s government efficiency team from accessing internal system data, telling both parties only that “you will hear from me,” while declining to promise an exact time or date.

The update from U.S. District Judge John Bates, a George W. Bush appointee, comes just one week after he rejected an earlier attempt from the Labor Department to issue a temporary restraining order to block DOGE access to internal system data, saying that the plaintiffs lacked standing, and failed to show they would suffer sufficient harm as a result of the actions.

In response, unions amended their complaint to broaden the scope of the lawsuit, adding the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Education, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

LAWSUIT TRACKER: NEW RESISTANCE BATTLING TRUMP’S SECOND TERM THROUGH ONSLAUGHT OF LAWSUITS TAKING AIM AT EOS

Protesters demonstrate in support of federal workers outside of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on February 14, 2025 in Washington, DC. Organizers held the protest to speak on the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) cuts. ( (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images))

Arguments on Friday stretched for more than three hours, with plaintiffs arguing that DOGE employees were accessing their information illegally, since DOGE is not technically a U.S. government agency.

“There has been reporting that DOGE is directing the cuts of agency staff and contracts, not simply advising the president,” one lawyer for the plaintiffs told Judge Bates, “The situation is extremely fluid and changing,” plaintiffs argued.

They urged Judge Bates to grant a temporary request to block DOGE’s access to the information, which they said would “force the agency to implement a more thoughtful process.”

Meanwhile, the Justice Department argued in response that the DOGE personnel in question are “detailed” U.S. government employees, who have access to the information under provisions of the Economy Act.

Judge Bates declined to rule from the bench, telling both sides only that “You will hear from me.”

The update will likely do little in the near-term to assuage concerns at the Labor Department and other federal agencies over DOGE’s access to sensitive internal data.

Attorneys for Labor Department unions argued during last week’s hearing that, absent court intervention, DOGE could access protected agency information, including the financial and medical records of millions of Americans, and employee safety and workplace complaints.

Plaintiffs noted that Labor Department systems contain sensitive information about investigations into Musk-owned companies Tesla and SpaceX, as well as information about trade secrets of competing companies, plaintiffs noted— sparking concerns about Elon Musk’s possible access.

Attorney Mark Samburg argued that DOGE access to this information could have a “chilling effect” on new employees coming forward, due to fear of unlawful disclosure or retaliation.

“The sensitive information of millions of people is currently at imminent risk of unlawful disclosure,” Samburg said.

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Judge Bates suggested Friday that DOGE’s creation and its hierarchy were “odd,” noting that it “was created in a way to get it out of OMB [Office of Management and Budget], and instead answering to the chief of staff of the president.”

DOGE “took great effort to avoid being an agency, but in this case, you’re an agency,” he said of DOGE. “It just seems to strain credulity.”

This is a breaking news story. Check back shortly for updates.

Breanne Deppisch is a politics reporter for Fox News Digital covering the Trump administration, with a focus on the Justice Department, FBI, and other national news.

February 14, 2025
Judge issues restraining order after Trump blocks federal funds for youth sex change operations

A judge in Washington state has issued a temporary restraining order over President Trump’s executive order that withholds federal funding to health care providers who prescribe youth puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones or who perform surgeries for gender dysphoria.

Judge Lauren King, in the Western Washington District Court, issued the order on Friday.

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President Trump signing an executive order. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

It comes after a federal judge in Maryland issued a similar temporary retraining order this week.

February 14, 2025
Roughly 75,000 federal employees agree to Trump’s buyout offer

Roughly 75,000 federal employees have accepted President Donald Trump’s deferred resignation program, after the U.S. Office of Personnel Management offered more than 2 million federal civilian employees buyouts in January to leave their jobs or be forced to return to work in person.

Employees who accepted the so-called “fork in the road” offer will retain all pay and benefits and be exempt from in-person work until Sept. 30, a move that’s part of a broader attempt by the Trump administration to downsize the federal government.

“We have too many people,” Trump told reporters Tuesday in a press briefing. “We have office spaces occupied by 4% – nobody showing up to work because they were told not to.”

The White House confirmed to Fox News Digital that numbers had climbed to 75,000 as of Thursday morning.

JUDGE RESTORES TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S BUYOUT OFFER TO FEDERAL WORKERS

Roughly 75,000 federal employees have accepted President Donald Trump’s deferred resignation program. (Fox News/Special Report)

The Trump administration’s offer faced scrutiny, and a federal judge temporarily blocked the administration’s plan from advancing amid challenges from labor union groups who voiced concerns that the law didn’t require the Trump administration to hold up its end of the deal.

However, U.S. District Judge George O’Toole of Massachusetts ruled in favor of the White House Wednesday evening, asserting the plaintiffs in the case aren’t directly impacted by the Trump administration’s offer.

They “allege that the directive subjects them to upstream effects including a diversion of resources to answer members’ questions about the directive, a potential loss of membership, and possible reputational harm,” O’Toole wrote.

“The unions do not have the required direct stake in the Fork Directive, but are challenging a policy that affects others, specifically executive branch employees,” O’Toole wrote. “This is not sufficient.”

The Trump administration praised the court’s decision, and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt described it as “the first of many legal wins for the president.”

‘GET BACK TO WORK’: HOUSE OVERSIGHT TO TAKE ON GOVERNMENT TELEWORK IN 1ST HEARING OF NEW CONGRESS

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt described the court ruling as “the first of many legal wins for the president.” (Evan Vucci/The Associated Press)

“The court dissolved the injunction due to a lack of standing,” Leavitt said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “This goes to show that lawfare will not ultimately prevail over the will of 77 million Americans who supported President Trump and his priorities.”

The buyout program is one of several initiatives the Trump administration has unveiled to cut down the federal workforce. On Tuesday, Trump also signed an executive order instructing the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to coordinate with federal agencies and execute massive cuts in federal workforce staffing numbers.

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The order instructs DOGE and federal agencies to work together to “significantly” shrink the size of the federal government and limit hiring new employees, according to a White House fact sheet on the order. Specifically, agencies must not hire more than one employee for every four that leave their federal post.

Agencies also are instructed to “undertake plans for large-scale reductions in force” and evaluate ways to eliminate or combine agency functions that aren’t legally required, the fact sheet said.

Fox News’ Andrea Margolis, Jake Gibson, Jacqui Heinrich and Patrick Ward contributed to this report.

Diana Stancy is a politics reporter with Fox News Digital covering the White House.

February 13, 2025
President Donald Trump’s buyout offer to federal workers restored by judge

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A federal judge restored President Donald Trump’s deferred resignation program for federal workers in a decision Wednesday.

The deferred resignation program, also known as the administration’s “fork in the road” offer, asked government workers to stay or leave after Trump required them to return to their offices shortly after his inauguration. The legal group Democracy Forward had filed a lawsuit over the program on behalf of labor unions that represent thousands of employees.

U.S. District Judge George O’Toole of Massachusetts made the ruling in favor of the White House Wednesday evening. In his decision, he wrote that the plaintiffs in the case “are not directly impacted by the directive” and denied their case on that basis.

“[T]hey allege that the directive subjects them to upstream effects including a diversion of resources to answer members’ questions about the directive, a potential loss of membership, and possible reputational harm,” O’Toole wrote.

TRUMP TO SIGN MEMO LIFTING BIDEN’S LAST-MINUTE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENTS

President Donald Trump signs executive orders in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., Jan. 20. (Getty Images)

“The unions do not have the required direct stake in the Fork Directive, but are challenging a policy that affects others, specifically executive branch employees. This is not sufficient.”

Additionally, the judge wrote that his court “lacks subject matter jurisdiction to consider the plaintiffs’ pleaded claims,” noting similar cases where courts were found to have lacked authority.

“Aggrieved employees can bring claims through the administrative process,” O’Toole said. “That the unions themselves may be foreclosed from this administrative process does not mean that adequate judicial review is lacking.”

In a statement to Fox News, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt called the decision “the first of many legal wins for the President.”

“The court dissolved the injunction due to a lack of standing,” Leavitt said. “This goes to show that lawfare will not ultimately prevail over the will of 77 million Americans who supported President Trump and his priorities.”

‘GET BACK TO WORK’: HOUSE OVERSIGHT TO TAKE ON GOVERNMENT TELEWORK IN 1ST HEARING OF NEW CONGRESS

President Donald Trump speaks during the National Prayer Breakfast at the Washington Hilton Feb. 6 in Washington, D.C. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) began emailing more than 2 million federal civilian employees offering them buyouts to leave their jobs shortly after Trump’s inauguration. The offers quickly outraged labor leaders, and the president of the National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE) called the offers “shady,” claiming the deals “should not be taken seriously.”

“The offer is not bound by existing law or policy, nor is it funded by Congress,” NFFE National President Randy Erwin said. “There is nothing to hold OPM or the White House accountable to the terms of their agreement.

“Federal employees will not give in to this shady tactic pressuring them to quit. Civil servants care way too much about their jobs, their agency missions and their country to be swayed by this phony ploy. To all federal employees: Do not resign.”

Republican attorneys general previously signaled support for Trump’s program, writing in an amicus curiae brief Sunday that a challenge to the constitutionality of the order “would inevitably fail.”

U.S. District Judge George O’Toole of Massachusetts made the ruling in favor of the White House Wednesday evening in Boston. (Reuters/Lauren Owen Lambert)

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“Courts should refrain from intruding into the President’s well-settled Article II authority to supervise and manage the federal workforce,” the filing said. “Plaintiffs seek to inject this Court into federal workforce decisions made by the President and his team. The Court can avoid raising any separation of powers concerns by denying Plaintiffs’ relief and allowing the President and his team to manage the federal workforce.”

Fox News Digital’s Louis Casiano and Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.

February 13, 2025
Federal agency in DOGE’s crosshairs played key role in Harris’ strategy to curb migrant crisis

When the Biden administration launched its strategy to tackle “root causes” of migration at the southern border during a time of rapidly rising and historic illegal immigration, the now-frozen United States Agency for International Development (USAID) played a significant role.

During the Biden administration, Vice President Kamala Harris was tasked with leading diplomacy in Latin America to tackle the root causes, identified as issues like gang violence, climate change and poverty. It consisted of both government initiatives and funding from private organizations.

USAID, which was frozen in recent days over concerns about misspending, played a key role in the distribution of funds. While certain operations have been halted to get a full picture of USAID funding to the region, it is possible to get a glimpse of the help it provided.

JUDGE BLOCKS TRUMP FROM PLACING 2,200 USAID WORKERS ON LEAVE

President Donald Trump pumps his fist as he walks to board Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland Feb. 7, 2025. (Roberto Schmidt/AFP via Getty Images)

In 2021, the first year of the Biden administration, USAID announced Centroamérica Local, a 5-year, $300 million initiative that funded organizations in El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras to address the root causes of migration to the U.S.

“Under this new initiative, Centroamérica Local, USAID intends to invest up to $300 million, subject to the availability of funds, toward engaging, strengthening, and funding local organizations to implement programs to advance sustainable and equitable economic growth, improve governance, fight corruption, protect human rights, improve citizen security, and combat sexual and gender-based violence,” USAID said in a statement at the time.

“These programs are being carried out under the Biden-Harris Administration’s Root Causes Strategy and deliver on the Agency’s goal to foster greater engagement with local organizations and communities in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras and advance stability in the region.”

More was still to come.

TOP DEM STRATEGISTS WARN USAID FUNDING FIGHT IS A ‘TRAP’ FOR THE PARTY

In 2022, USAID announced programs in Central America to end gender-based violence, including a $6.5 million program in Guatemala and a $2.7 million program in Honduras. That built off a program announced in El Salvadaor.

In March last year, Harris met with Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo and announced a planned investment of $135 million in USAID funding, alongside $170 million to aid development, economic health and security assistance.

Included in the announcement was an expansion of the Central American Service Corps, which was created in 2022 at the Summit of Americas. The expanded program was funded by USAID and aimed to reach 2,800 people seen at most risk of migrating by engaging them with volunteer work, employment and training.

Also announced for Guatemala was a USAID-implemented “Feed the Future” program to strengthen the capacity of research and education entities to scale agricultural technologies and to support research and education related to “climate smart” agriculture.

A flag outside U.S. Agency for International Development headquarters Feb. 3, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Getty Images)

USAID was also to implement a new “Guatemala Biodiversity Conservation” program to promote the conservation of biodiversity and strengthen protected areas and other areas of ecological importance.

In September, USAID announced an additional $10.75 million in funding for Guatemala.

USAID STAFFERS STUNNED, ANGERED BY TRUMP ADMIN’S DOGE SHUTDOWN OF $40B AGENCY

That came after USAID invested over $153 million in Guatemala in 2023 to allegedly support the government in efforts to strengthen democracy and improve opportunities. According to a release, funded activities included “integrated rural and agricultural development, sustainable economic growth, support for the construction of climate-resilient infrastructure, and digital development and e-governance.”

Harris was dogged by the “border czar” title throughout her unsuccessful presidential bid as she largely dropped the root causes emphasis and instead focused on the Biden administration’s efforts to secure the border.

President Donald Trump’s administration has demonstrated a skepticism of the root causes strategy, both in its leaning in on border security and interior enforcement and also its moves to cut or freeze funding abroad.

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In his first week in office, Trump also rescinded Biden’s 2021 executive order creating a “comprehensive regional framework to address the causes of migration, to manage migration throughout North and Central America and to provide safe and orderly processing of asylum seekers at the United States border.”

He also revoked an executive order to rebuild and enhance programs to resettle refugees and plan for “the impact of climate change on migration.”

Adam Shaw is a politics reporter for Fox News Digital, primarily covering immigration and border security.

He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter.

February 12, 2025
Oregon congresswoman determined to protect federal workers with Stop Musk Act

DOGE backup: Trump’s latest executive order

Fox News senior White House correspondent Jacqui Heinrich shares President Donald Trump’s latest executive order to ‘significantly’ reduce the federal workforce on ‘Special Report.’

An Oregon congresswoman is determined to protect federal workers from possible retaliation by introducing new legislation that focuses on “federal workers who stand up against Elon Musk’s grotesque seizure of critical government agencies.”

Representative Maxine Dexter has proposed the “Stop Musk Act” which states, “No Federal employee may be retaliated against, including any retaliation occurring on or after the date of the enactment of this Act, for resisting, circumventing, or preventing Elon Musk or individuals he oversees from taking unlawful or unconstitutional actions relating to Federal agencies.”

The bill addresses, what Dexter alleges, is Musk’s recent seizing of control of the U.S. Department of Treasury’s payment system, exposing Oregonian’s personal financial information, shuttering the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) putting the lives of millions of people at risk.

PRESIDENT TRUMP PREDICTS ELON MUSK WILL FIND ‘HUNDREDS OF BILLIONS’ IN WASTE IN NEXT DOGE DIRECTIVES

The ‘Stop Musk Act’ states federal employees who resist, circumvent, or prevent Musk’s takeover would be protected against any present or future retaliation for their efforts. (Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

She alleges that the billionaire has “the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) undermining our work to combat the climate crisis. This is only the beginning. Under this legislation, federal employees who resist, circumvent, or prevent Musk’s takeover would be protected against any present or future retaliation for their efforts.”

The bill comes as Musk, along with the Department of Government Efficiency, has forced leave of U.S. Agency for International Development staffers.

“The world’s richest man should not have the power to unilaterally dismantle the federal government and the critical services it provides Oregonians. Federal employees are at the forefront of fighting Elon Musk’s power grab, and we must protect them.

The bill comes as Musk, along with the Department of Government Efficiency, has forced leave of U.S. Agency for International Development staffers. ( Samuel Corum/Getty Images)

TRUMP DEFENDS MUSK’S DOGE AMID DEMS’ RESISTANCE EFFORTS | FOX NEWS VIDEO

President Trump continues to defend DOGE’s work alongside Musk and has predicted that he will find billions in fraud and abuse. Meanwhile, his actions have been met with outrage from some Democrats.

“I’m going to tell him very soon… to go check the Department of Education. He’s going to find the same thing. Then I’m going to go into the military. Let’s check the military. We’re going to find billions, hundreds of billions of dollars of fraud and abuse, and the people elected me on that.”

Trump and Musk have asked federal workers to leave their jobs, and even offered a buyout to some, giving them the opportunity to quit and still get paid until Sept. 30.

The bill comes as Musk, along with the Department of Government Efficiency, has forced leave of U.S. Agency for International Development staffers. (Fox News)

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Dexter says she is concerned as thousands of federal workers in Oregon are voicing their opinions about cuts to federal agencies.

“All week, I have heard from constituents who are demanding action. Let me be clear: we will use every legislative, judicial, and public pressure tactic to stop Musk’s takeover. This multi-front battle will be fought in the courts, the halls of Congress, and the public sphere.

“We must stay loud. We must stand tight. We must press on.”

February 12, 2025
Raskin blasts Musk for DOGE-led cost-cutting measures across federal government

Despite not being the president, Elon Musk stands accused of usurping three presidential powers through his Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) efforts to cut costs and downsize the scope of the federal government.

U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., appeared Sunday on MSNBC’s “The Weekend,” and he was asked if Republicans have joined him and other Democrats to back the “Nobody Elected Elon Musk Act,” which was introduced to rein in DOGE, the cost-cutting agency that has targeted certain government programs.

“At this point, they’re either out there cheerleading for Elon Musk or more and more of them are getting real quiet because they see the public does not like this,” said Raskin, who is proposing the legislation.

“The public does not like the idea that a guy who would not even be constitutionally eligible to run for president is acting as president.

FEDERAL JUDGE ORDERS LIMITED DOGE ACCESS TO SENSITIVE TREASURY DEPARTMENT PAYMENT SYSTEM RECORDS

U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

“A guy who, if he were president, would be impeached immediately because he’s taking billions of dollars in foreign government emoluments from all over the world,” he added. “And some have actually been talking about impeaching President Elon Musk right now on the theory that he’s usurped the powers of the presidency.”

Raskin said Musk wants to create a “techno monarchy” amid his cost-cutting through DOGE.

“Elon Musk would really like to completely overthrow our system of government and move us into some kind of techno monarchy under the geniuses of Silicon Valley,” he said.

HEGSETH SAYS DOGE WELCOME AT PENTAGON AS DEFENSE DEPARTMENT REVIEWS MILITARY POSTURE GLOBALLY

Musk’s role in the Trump administration has garnered praise from Republicans and drawn the ire of Democrats who worry about his access to government databases and say he is trying to take over the government in a way that’s not transparent.

“The people voted for major government reform,” Musk told reporters Tuesday from the Oval Office alongside Trump. “There should be no doubt about that. That was on the campaign. The president spoke about that at every rally. The people voted for major government reform. And that’s what people are going to get.”

Since President Donald Trump has taken office, DOGE has set its sights on the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Treasury Department.

A judge recently issued a temporary restraining order blocking the Musk-led department and political appointees from accessing sensitive Treasury Department data. Trump has also directed DOGE to probe the Education and Defense departments for wasteful spending.

“Billions and billions of dollars in waste, fraud and abuse,” Trump said Tuesday. “And I think it’s very important. And that’s one of the reasons I got elected.”

Musk defended DOGE, saying the group is targeting bureaucracies that don’t provide anything in return to taxpayers, as well as targeting America’s debt.

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“What we have is this unelected, fourth unconstitutional branch of government, which is the bureaucracy, which has, in a lot of ways, currently more power than any elected representative,” Musk said. “And this is not something that people want. It does not match the will of the people. So, it’s just something we’ve got we’ve got to fix.

“So, what I really would say is it’s not optional for us to reduce the federal expense,” he added. “It’s essential.”

February 12, 2025
Trump to sign order instructing DOGE to massively cut federal workforce

Democrats take aim at DOGE and Elon Musk

Fox News senior congressional correspondent Chad Pergram reports on Democratic pushback on the Department of Government Efficiency and its proposed cuts to government spending.

President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order Tuesday instructing the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to coordinate with federal agencies and execute massive cuts in federal government staffing numbers.

The order will instruct DOGE and federal agencies to work together to “significantly” shrink the size of the federal government and limit hiring new employees, according to a White House fact sheet on the order. Specifically, agencies must not hire more than one employee for every four that leave their federal post.

Agencies will also be instructed to “undertake plans for large-scale reductions in force” and evaluate ways to eliminate or combine agency functions that aren’t legally required.

DOGE Chair Elon Musk, the CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, told reporters Tuesday in the Oval Office that the American people voted for “major” government reform and that the Trump administration would deliver.

Trump voiced similar sentiments about providing voters what they wanted – to tackle “all of this “horrible stuff going on” – and told reporters that he hoped the court system would cooperate.

“I hope that the court system is going to allow us to do what we have to do,” Trump said, who also said he would always abide by a court’s ruling but will be prepared to appeal.

The order builds on another directive Trump signed after his inauguration implementing a federal hiring freeze, as well as an initiative from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) offering more than 2 million federal civilian employees buyouts if they leave their jobs or return to work in-person. A federal judge has temporarily blocked the administration’s plan from advancing amid challenges from union groups.

Trump’s executive order aligns with DOGE’s “workforce optimization initiative” and would impose restrictions to hire only for “essential positions” as agencies brace for significant cuts to their workforce, according to the White House fact sheet.

DC FEDERAL WORKERS IN A ‘PANIC’ OVER NOVEL EXPERIENCE OF JOB INSECURITY WITH JOB CUTS

Elon Musk, the chair of DOGE, has been leading an investigation into USAID’s spending practices as the agency comes to a standstill. (Getty Images)

The executive order will leave just a few areas of the federal government unscathed, including positions affiliated with law enforcement, national security and immigration enforcement.

DOGE is focused on eliminating wasteful government spending and streamlining efficiency and operations, and it is expected to influence White House policy on budget matters. The group has been tasked with cutting $2 trillion from the federal government budget through efforts to slash spending, government programs and the federal workforce.

The White House said on Feb. 4 that it predicted a “spike” in resignations close to the original Feb. 6 deadline for the buyout offer, which would allow employees to retain all pay and benefits and be exempt from in-person work until Sep. 30.

“The number of deferred resignations is rapidly growing, and we’re expecting the largest spike 24 to 48 hours before the deadline,” a White House official told Fox News Digital on Feb. 4.

JUDGE EXTENDS INJUCTION ORDER TO BAN TRUMP ADMIN BUYOUT OFFER TO FEDERAL WORKERS

President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order instructing the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to coordinate with federal agencies to execute massive cuts in federal government staffing numbers. (Reuters)

So far, approximately 65,000 federal employees have accepted the buyout offer, but a federal judge has issued a pause on the deadline for when employees must submit their resignations.

U.S. District Judge George O’Toole indefinitely extended a temporary restraining order Monday, pausing the deadline as he evaluates a preliminary injunction request stemming from cases against the buyout program filed by union groups including the American Federation of Government Employees.

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When asked about the buyout, Trump said that there are empty office spaces and that his administration is attempting to reduce the size of government.

“We have too many people. We have office spaces occupied by 4% — nobody showing up to work because they were told not to,” Trump said.

DOGE has moved to slash other areas of the federal government as well.

Other recent initiatives by DOGE have included launching an effort to shutter the U.S. Agency for International Development, a group that works to deliver aid to impoverished countries and development assistance.

The group has come under scrutiny from DOGE amid concerns about wasteful government spending and poor leadership, as well as questionable funding, including an Iraqi version of “Sesame Street” and reportedly providing millions of dollars in funding to extremist groups tied to designated terrorist organizations and their allies.

“It’s been run by a bunch of radical lunatics, and we’re getting them out,” Trump told reporters on Feb. 2.

Fox News’ Brooke Singman, Emma Colton and Louis Casiano contributed to this report.

Diana Stancy is a politics reporter with Fox News Digital covering the White House.

February 11, 2025
Federal judge orders Trump admin to restore public health web pages

A federal judge on Tuesday ordered the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to restore web pages and datasets that were taken down in accordance with President Donald Trump’s executive order.

Under U.S. District Judge John Bates’ order, HHS, the CDC and the FDA are required to restore data sets and pages that were “removed or substantially modified” last month “without adequate notice or reasoned explanation.”

Earlier this month, Doctors for America, represented by Public Citizen Litigation Group, filed a lawsuit against the Office of Personal Management (OPM), the CDC, the FDA and HHS for removing information that it says was used by doctors and researchers.

President Donald Trump signs an executive order barring transgender female athletes from competing in women’s or girls’ sporting events, in the East Room of the White House, Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

RILEY GAINES: THE ALL-OUT WAR ON FEMALE ATHLETES ENDS NOW, THANKS TO PRESIDENT TRUMP

“Removing critical clinical information and datasets from the websites of CDC, FDA, and HHS not only puts the health of our patients at risk, but also endangers research that improves the health and health care of the American public,” Dr. Reshma Ramachandran, a member of the board of directors for Doctors for America, said in a statement on the organization’s website. “Federal public health agencies must reinstate these resources in full to protect our patients.”

“These federal agencies exist to serve the American people by protecting public health,” Zach Shelley, an attorney at Public Citizen Litigation Group and lead counsel on the case, said in the same statement. “Removing this vital information flouts that mandate. Our lawsuit seeks to hold them to their responsibilities to the people of this country.”

President Donald Trump holds up an executive order after signing it at an indoor Presidential Inauguration parade event in Washington, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

LGBT ACTIVISTS MOBILIZE TO CHALLENGE TRUMP’S ‘EXTREME GENDER IDEOLOGY’ EXECUTIVE ORDERS

Doctors for America alleged in its complaint that the removal of the web pages and data sets created a “dangerous gap in the scientific data available to monitor and respond to disease outbreaks.”

According to the complaint, the pages and data sets that were either taken down or modified included a report on an HIV medication, pages on “environmental justice,” pages on HIV monitoring and testing and a CDC guide on contraceptives, among others. Doctors for America claim that these pages and reports were either removed or modified to “combat what the president described as ‘gender ideology.’”

President Donald Trump signs a series of executive orders at the White House on Jan. 20, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Getty)

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The web pages in question were taken down in accordance with President Trump’s order on “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government.” In the order, President Trump outlines precise definitions of “woman,” “man,” “female,” “male” and other gendered words, establishing the recognition of two genders as official U.S. policy.

“The erasure of sex in language and policy has a corrosive impact not just on women but on the validity of the entire American system. Basing federal policy on truth is critical to scientific inquiry, public safety, morale, and trust in government itself,” the order reads.

Rachel Wolf is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital and FOX Business.

February 11, 2025