The mass layoffs, which were initially announced on April 1, had been delayed because of legal proceedings, but were put into force after the court ruling on July 8. The employees were informed on Monday that they were terminated from HHS effective as of the business day of July 14, 2025.
HHS said these layoffs are the result of a broader reorganization designed to remake the department under the governor's "Make America Healthy Again" mission.
An HHS spokesperson said the department has cut 10,000 jobs throughout agencies like the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Thousands of workers lost their jobs this week, though some have been returned to work after previous court rulings.
Legal Protection Delays Some Layoffs
Not all the affected employees were immediately escorted from the building. A second case, New York v. Kennedy, has temporarily shielded some workers from being dismissed.
This covers workers in six different CDC units, including the National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and Tuberculosis Prevention and the Center for Tobacco Products at the FDA.
Workers in programs like the Office of Head Start, and in some units that fall under the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, are also shielded.
A judge in Rhode Island, Melissa DuBose, had issued a preliminary injunction for this group and the government asked the judge to narrow her order, but the court had yet to respond.
Legal experts expect more courtroom battles as many employees continue to be shielded by this decision.
Court Rulings to Spur Wider Federal Layoffs
The Supreme Court also cleared the way on Thursday for mass layoffs at the Department of Education after a legal fight by unions and education groups. Following the decision, the department notified its employees that they would be fired by Aug. 1.
The series of orders comes after President Donald Trump signed an executive order in February intended to significantly cut down on the size of federal agencies. The Supreme Court permitted these job cuts to go forward, lifting earlier lower court injunctions.
But the court said it may yet consider whether those layoffs stop departments from doing the jobs they are required to do under the law.
For now, HHS and other parts of the federal bureaucracy are pressing on with workforce reductions, with legal experts forecasting legal disputes as the effort goes on.
