On February 3, 2025, the New York Times reported that The Trump administration has informed over 1,100 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) employees working on climate change, air pollution, and other environmental issues that “they could be fired at any time.”
The news was sent via email to employees who were hired within the last year and are on probationary status. This probationary status allows the agency “to immediately terminate” those staff members. A number of other agencies are also being considered for mass lay-offs, but EPA is reportedly the first to distribute such email notifications.