DHS Secretary Kristi Noem Offers Buyouts to DHS Workers

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem is following President Donald Trump’s lead in offering buyouts to federal employees to shrink the federal workforce. When Trump did that in February, 75,000-80,000 workers (depending on which source you read) took that offer.

After the offer was no longer up for grabs, he began firing workers outright, signaling that when a buyout is offered, the alternative may be nothing.

That precedent should encourage workers to simply take buyouts - or else. 

As reported by at Just the News:

The internal memo, which was reviewed by Politico, does not indicate how wide the workforce reduction would be, but it could include employees at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Customs and Border Protection, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).  

DHS employees considering leaving the department early can choose among three buyout options: A cash incentive to retire early or quit, or a deferred resignation with a brief period of paid administrative leave. "[The buyout options] reflect our commitment to aligning our workforce with the evolving mission needs while supporting the personal and professional goals of our dedicated employees," Noem wrote in the memo.

They have to act quickly: the deadline is April 14. 

Sources familiar with the plan say the White House is targeting a 10% reduction in personnel over the next two years, and the DHS, which is one of the largest federal departments, serves as a key focus. The DHS, which was created in 2002, employs more than 240,000 people.