‘There were people crying'; Central Illinois federal workers face unemployment, uncertainty
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) — President Donald Trump is working to shrink the federal government, and it's coming in the form of sweeping federal worker layoffs.
On Thursday, Trump's administration ordered agencies to lay off nearly all probationary workers. Those employees have generally worked for less than a year and aren't covered by civil service protections.
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It could potentially impact hundreds of thousands of workers. It's already leaving uncertainty for some in Central Illinois.
A.J. Ruggieri of Champaign walked into the office last week for what he thought would be a normal day. He'd been working for a sub agency of the USDA for nearly two and a half months when he learned that his job was cut short.
'I went into the office Friday morning, I looked at my email, and the previous night at 7:50 p.m. I had been sent an email that was titled 'Termination Notice Probationary Employee,'' Ruggieri said.
People were emotional, Ruggieri noted.
'There were people crying,' he continued. 'No type of severance, just nothing other than thank you for your federal service.'
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Progressive group Champaign County Indivisible rallied outside of Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski's office on Monday advocating for people like Ruggieri. Leadership said this is a tipping point for the country.
'We're at a crossroads,' co-founder Jeff Dougan said. 'If we keep going down this path, I am concerned that government of the people, by the people, for the people will perish from the United States.'
Ruggieri said the termination letter he got said he failed to demonstrate that his work was in the interest of the public. He said that's a lie.
'I very much believe in the principles of America, but I also believe we're supposed to take care of each other,' Ruggieri said. 'This has been very challenging.'
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Ruggieri said he's lucky that he did not relocate for his federal job. He plans to use connections in the community to figure out his next steps — something that has the added pressure of a family waiting back home.
'I'm married,' Ruggieri said. 'I have three kids. The idea of how we're going to maintain the level of life we've had is in question now.'
Five unions for government employees have sued Trump and his administration over the firings, saying it's illegal and violates procedures for reducing the workforce.
This could only be the beginning, however. Trump signed an executive order last week that told agency leaders to plan for more cuts on the way.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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