The Trump administration has formally notified Congress of a reorganization of the U.S. State Department, set to take effect by July 1. The plan, announced by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, will eliminate approximately 3,448 domestic jobs—about 18% of the department's U.S.-based workforce—and consolidate or close more than 300 of its 734 offices. Staff will be notified before July 1, and 45% of offices are affected.
A major change is the creation of an Office of Remigration within the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration. This office will coordinate the voluntary return of migrants to their country of origin or legal status, track repatriations, and serve as a platform for interagency coordination on removals. The administration plans to offer a $1,000 stipend to undocumented immigrants who self-deport. The office's establishment is part of a policy shift to prioritize deportations over refugee resettlement, and is similar to programs in some European countries. The plan also includes the creation of an Office of Natural Rights.
The restructuring will dissolve the Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts (CARE) and the Enduring Welcome office, both of which supported Afghan refugees after the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. AfghanEvac, a refugee advocacy group, stated that Enduring Welcome has assisted over 200,000 Afghans and called the closures a betrayal. Responsibilities from these offices will be reassigned to the Afghanistan Affairs Office, and the special representative for Afghan reconstruction will be eliminated.
The overhaul will eliminate most regional offices of the Democracy, Human Rights and Labor bureau, replacing them with new roles focused on 'Democracy and Western Values' and 'free market principles.' Disaster relief functions from USAID will be absorbed into the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration. The administration states these reforms are intended to streamline government functions, eliminate redundancy, and enhance accountability. Secretary Rubio described the changes as making the department more agile.
The reorganization is part of a wider initiative under the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) led by Elon Musk, aiming to reduce the federal workforce and refocus the State Department on core U.S. foreign policy objectives.
Trump and his team are pursuing a cohesive vision to rewrite the values, norms, and goals central to the United States’ national identity, Thomas Carothers argues.
He's been in office for four months. Illegal border crossings are down 95%. Harvard is under full scale attack from the White House, the DOJ, and the DOE. Criminal aliens are being removed to a Salvadoran prison.
It's incredible! If you're mad you are an ingrate
