Thousands of federal employees, many of them probationary workers, have been abruptly terminated in recent layoffs across multiple agencies, including the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the Department of Education, and the Department of Veterans Affairs. Among those affected is Hanna Hickman, a former senior litigation counsel at the CFPB, who described the experience as “scary” and “shocking.”
Hickman, who spoke to ABC News, recounted the moment she received her termination notice late at night via phone notification.
“It was shocking, frankly — not just to us but to our direct managers, who had not been told this would happen and received notice of the terminations at the same time we did,” she said. She added that the sudden job loss leaves her uncertain about health insurance and financial stability.
The layoffs primarily impacted probationary employees—those who had been in their roles for less than two years—leaving them with fewer protections. Many, like Hickman, have been cut off from agency systems immediately, even while actively working on cases. “For a lawyer, it’s the equivalent of being escorted out of the building and fired,” she explained.
Elon Musk, head of the newly established Department of Government Efficiency, made headlines after the terminations by posting “CFPB RIP” on X.
CFPB RIP 🪦
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 7, 2025
Hickman believes these actions signal an attempt to dismantle the agency, which was created to protect consumers from financial misconduct. “We’re under attack by billionaires,” she told ABC News. “But I’m not a billionaire, so for me, the next steps are scary.”
Other terminated employees echoed similar frustrations. Chelsea Milburn, a disabled veteran who was fired from the Department of Education, told ABC News she received no explanation for her dismissal beyond a vague statement about her performance. “I’ve only ever gotten positive feedback from my team and leadership, so I was pretty surprised to get that email,” she said.
A former Federal Student Aid employee shared an emotional account of learning about their termination from a supervisor who was in tears. The employee, who spoke anonymously, described the abrupt loss of access to work systems and lingering questions about severance and benefits. “Nobody knows anything,” they said.
The mass terminations have sparked outrage among lawmakers and advocates. Senator Elizabeth Warren joined protests outside CFPB headquarters, denouncing the firings as a political maneuver. Meanwhile, new CFPB leadership has agreed to pause additional layoffs while a lawsuit challenging the dismissals proceeds.
As former employees explore legal options, Hickman emphasized the broader implications. “Civil servants do this work to fight for regular Americans. That’s why these protections exist—to keep these jobs insulated from partisan swings,” she said. “For me, this was a calling, and losing it like this is devastating.”
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