Mass Layoffs Hit U.S. Institute of Peace Amid Government Efficiency Push
The U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP) carried out mass firings on Friday, with sources confirming the terminations to CBS News. The layoffs, effective immediately, were part of the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) broader initiative to reduce what it deems wasteful spending.
According to USIP employees who spoke to The Washington Post, between 200 and 300 staff members—nearly the entire headquarters workforce—were dismissed.
The move follows an executive order signed by President Donald Trump in February, aimed at dismantling the congressionally funded organization. The administration has sought to freeze USIP’s funding and restructure its leadership by replacing its board.
Founded in 1984 under President Ronald Reagan, USIP was established as an independent, nonprofit corporation dedicated to conflict prevention and resolution worldwide. The organization operates with a $55 million annual budget.
"Taxpayers don’t want to spend $50 million a year on a publicly funded ‘research institute’ that has failed to deliver peace,” White House Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly stated on Saturday. “President Trump ended the era of forever wars and established peace in his first term. He is now fulfilling his mandate to cut government waste and save taxpayer dollars.”
Dismissed employees received termination notices via email from a USIP account. One such email, obtained by media outlets, read:
"Dear [Employee], this letter is to inform you of a change in your employment status with the United States Institute of Peace. Effective March 28, 2025, your employment with us will conclude."
The layoffs follow a legal battle in which USIP sought to block DOGE from proceeding with what it called an “unlawful dismantling” of the institute. Earlier this month, a federal judge declined to issue a temporary restraining order that would have prevented DOGE from assuming control.
The firings coincided with the Trump administration’s broader efforts to reshape U.S. foreign aid structures, including steps taken on the same day to formally close the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).