On January 26, 2025, the U.S. Embassy was at the entrance of the Embassy of Bogota in Colombia.
Pablo Vera | AFP | Getty Images
President Donald Trump’s administration has asked embassies around the world to prepare for layoffs, three sources familiar with the matter told Reuters on Thursday that it was a Republican president’s effort to overhaul the U.S. Foreign Department overhaul Part.
Sources said some embassies were asked to consider reducing U.S. employees as well as local employed workers by 10%, and will send a list of workforces to the State Department on Friday before determining further action.
The U.S. Embassy employs diplomats and local employees around the world. According to the National Museum of Diplomacy, most of the embassy staff come from the host country.
Additionally, a U.S. official said that the State Department’s Democracy, Human Rights and Labor Bureau has terminated approximately 60 contractors in recent weeks and that it is possible to further cut other bureaus.
ABC News first reported that the U.S. embassy was told to start planning to reduce staff.
The State Council said in a statement that it had no comments on its insiders.
“The State Department continues to evaluate our global posture to ensure we are best for the modern challenge on behalf of the American people,” a spokesperson said.
The move was issued Wednesday when Trump tried to reshape the Foreign Ministry, instructing Secretary of State Marco Rubio to transform his diplomatic force to ensure the “faithful and effective implementation” of his foreign policy agenda.
The order comes after efforts to dismantle the U.S. international development agency, with Trump making changes to ensure U.S. foreign policy is aligned with his “America First” agenda. He also repeatedly promised to “clean up the depths” by firing bureaucrats he deemed unfaithful.
The order, titled “Voice of American Diplomatic Relations,” also said that failure to implement the president’s agenda is a reason for professional discipline, which could lead to dismissals.
The order reads: “The secretary must maintain the special workforce of the patriots in order to implement this policy effectively.”
The order also guides potential transformation of the Foreign Ministry’s manual, a comprehensive set of policies and procedures that outline how domestic sectors operate at home and abroad.
Just hours after taking office on January 20, Trump ordered a freeze of most U.S. foreign aid to ensure consistency with his “America First” policy. The U.S. Chief Humanitarian Agency, USAID, became the first goal of an effort led by billionaire Elon Musk, an ally of Trump to reduce the size of the U.S. government.
Since January 20, Musk has sent members of the government’s efficiency department to review sensitive personnel and payment information in government computer systems. In addition to the USDA, he also led the drive to remove the Consumer Financial Protection Agency, which also protects Americans from unethical lenders.
