WASHINGTON — The Department of Homeland Security is offering buyouts and early retirement options to staffers, as the Trump administration pushes forward with efforts to reduce and reshape the federal workforce, according to an email obtained by The Associated Press.
In the email, titled “Reshaping of the DHS Workforce," Secretary Kristi Noem said the department would give staffers who want to leave three options: deferred resignation, early retirement and a voluntary separation payment. The email, which was sent Monday night, said the last option offers a lump-sum payment of up to $25,000 in some cases.
Staff have until April 14 to decide on whether to apply for the offer.
The Department of Homeland Security did not respond to questions about how many people are expected to take the offer or whether staff cuts would eventually follow.
“The American people deserve a government that works for them, something President Trump has promised," spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. "Every dollar spent and position filled at DHS should be focused on our core mission of securing our homeland and keeping the American people safe.”
Homeland Security has so far avoided the widespread, sweeping layoffs seen in other agencies across the federal government.
In fact, the department has been advertising on social media that it’s looking for more staff in areas critical to immigration enforcement, such as Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Homeland Security Investigations.
Some areas of the department have seen cuts, including at a center focused on reducing targeted violence and terrorism. Also, 200 probationary FEMA employees were fired earlier this year, and three offices designed to provide oversight of the department were gutted.
In the Monday email, Noem said the offers to workers “reflect our commitment to aligning our workforce with evolving mission needs while supporting the personal and professional goals of our dedicated employees.” She said individual components within Homeland Security would give further guidance to staff about who is eligible and who would be excluded because they are “mission critical frontline workforce.”
Noem said that law enforcement officials would generally be exempt from the buyout offer. That's significant for Homeland Security, with law enforcement officers employed for many department functions such as Customs and Border Protection.
Homeland Security was created in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks to bring together 22 disparate agencies into one department. The sprawling department pulls together the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Coast Guard, Secret Service, and key parts of the country’s immigration and border security mission, among others.
