The U.S. Department of State issued layoff notices on Friday to more than 1,300 employees both domestically and abroad, marking the start of a workforce reduction aimed at trimming what officials have called a “bloated” staff. The move is part of President Donald Trump’s broader effort to restructure the federal government.

According to local media reports, more than 1,100 Civil Service employees and around 250 Foreign Service officers received notifications via email. Those affected will be placed on administrative leave for periods ranging from 90 to 120 days from the date of their dismissal notice.

The job cuts are part of a plan to centralize and streamline the agency’s operations without disrupting its overall functioning. The restructuring was designed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who had previously informed Congress in May of his intention to reduce the department’s workforce by 15%. The State Department currently employs about 18,000 people.

According to the top U.S. diplomat, the goal is to optimize what he described as a “bloated bureaucracy that stifles innovation and misallocates scarce resources,” as well as to eliminate remnants of “radical political ideology.”

The reorganization is expected to hit hardest in offices focused on human rights and refugee issues, which will now be handled by regional bureaus, according to The New York Times.

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“We inherited a system that needed reform, and we are delivering it,” said State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce on Thursday, adding that the Administration is committed to a foreign policy that puts U.S. interests first.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum stated on Friday that at least 355 Mexican migrants have been detained in various immigration raids across the United States, and over 67,000 have been repatriated since January 20, when Donald Trump’s administration began.

“There are 355 Mexican nationals directly linked to the raids who have been detained,” the president reported during her morning press conference.

She clarified that, on Thursday alone, following a raid on agricultural fields in California, the Mexican consulate received 25 calls from relatives seeking assistance for the detainees. However, the total number of those arrested is still being verified.

Sheinbaum’s comments come in response to Thursday’s reports that Mexican workers were detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during raids on farms in California, specifically in Santa Barbara County, in the Carpinteria area.

The actions of ICE agents sparked protests, which were dispersed when officers deployed tear gas on demonstrators in the middle of the fields.

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In response, the Mexican government, through its foreign ministry, activated its consular support protocol to assist the detained nationals.

The Mexican leader took the opportunity to condemn the raids, calling them “deeply unfair” and warning that “they will significantly harm the U.S. economy.”

The United States has confirmed 1,288 cases of measles so far in 2025, the highest number of infections in more than three decades, according to data published Wednesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Cases have been reported across 39 jurisdictions in the country. Of those infected, 13% (162 people) required hospitalization, and three people have died from complications related to the disease.

The CDC detailed that 27 outbreaks have been reported this year, accounting for 88% of the infections (1,130 of 1,288 cases). In 2024, 16 outbreaks were reported, responsible for 69% of the cases (198 of 285), with Texas being the most affected state then and now.

The current number of infections already surpasses the 2019 count of 1,274 cases, which was the highest in 25 years. Only 1992 recorded a higher number, with 2,126 cases, highlighting the scale of the current resurgence.

Measles was declared eradicated in the United States in 2000, meaning local transmission was interrupted and cases detected were due to infections acquired abroad. For the CDC, achieving elimination was a “historic public health achievement,” driven by vaccination policies.

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Texas has the highest number of cases this year, with more than 750 infections and two child deaths.

U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., known for his anti-vaccine stance, defended in May that the country’s health authorities “have handled measles outbreaks as well or better than other nations.”