Washington: The Trump administration has dismissed more than 400 employees at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as part of its effort to reduce the size of the federal workforce. This move was reported by CBS News and is part of a broader initiative to streamline government operations.

According to Anadolu Agency, the terminations impacted several DHS agencies, including the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and US Citizenship and Immigration Services. DHS officials indicated that the employees were identified as "non-mission critical personnel in probationary status."

The workforce reduction is projected to save approximately $50 million, contributing to the administration's goal of reducing bureaucracy. DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin communicated to CBS News that the department is actively seeking other positions and offices deemed wasteful and not aligned with DHS' mission.

A DHS official further stated, "Under President Trump's leadership, we are making sweeping cuts and reform across the federal government to eliminate egregious waste and incompetence that has been happening for decades at the expense of the American taxpayer."

In a significant policy shift, President Trump has also initiated a commission to consider the elimination of FEMA and transferring disaster relief responsibilities to individual states. This proposal marks a departure from established federal disaster management practices.

The rapid pace and scale of job cuts since Trump's inauguration on January 20 have faced criticism. The administration has announced layoffs affecting thousands, accompanied by broad claims of waste and potential criminality within the federal workforce, though these claims have yet to be substantiated.