Washington: More than 1,000 employees of the US State Department have been laid off as part of the Trump administration’s efforts to reduce its federal workforce. The involuntary staff reductions included 1,107 civil service and 246 foreign service employees, according to a notice sent to State Department employees on Friday.

According to BBC, more than 1,500 other State Department employees took voluntary departures earlier this year as part of the federal government’s massive reorganization effort. Videos shared on social media show civil service members in the lobby of the department, leaving the building with their belongings. Other employees are seen applauding former colleagues and hugging one another. Outside the building, protesters gathered with signs that read “Thank you to America’s diplomats” and “We all deserve better.”

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, while in Malaysia on Thursday, stated that the layoffs were not a consequence of trying to get rid of people. He explained that if a bureau is closed, the positions associated with it are no longer needed. Rubio emphasized that some positions are being eliminated, not people.

Democrats on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee issued a statement expressing concern that the decision to fire hundreds of members of the Civil Service and Foreign Service at the Department of State undermines national security. The senators stressed that while targeted reforms can maximize the impact of tax dollars, blanket and indiscriminate cuts weaken the government’s ability to deliver cost-effective services.

The layoffs follow a Supreme Court ruling allowing the Trump administration’s plan to reduce the size of the federal workforce to proceed. Earlier this year, the department informed Congress of its intention to reduce its workforce by 18% through voluntary departures and layoffs. This move is part of President Donald Trump’s campaign promise to cut government spending.

Additionally, the US Agency for International Development (USAID) officially closed its doors earlier this month at the directive of the Trump administration. More than 80% of the agency’s programs were cancelled as of March, with the remainder formally absorbed by the State Department on July 1.