PRINCE GEORGE’S CO., Md. – Maryland is home to approximately 150,000 federal employees and thousands of them have already lost their jobs as DOGE continues to make federal cuts to the workforce. Now, many are at risk of losing their homes and leaders in Prince George’s County are looking for ways to help. 

Local perspective:

It’s an uncertain time for federal workers — if they have not already been part of the mass layoffs, many are questioning their job security. This poses not only a problem for how to pay their mortgages but for the lenders that receive the funds.

The Prince George’s County Council passed a resolution to ask Gov. Wes Moore to help families avoid foreclosure. Knowing more job cuts are coming, they are being proactive with this as one of many initiatives. It doesn’t forgive the debt but allows the homeowner and lender to have conversations about a payment plan.

“How can we implement it so it is a win-win for not just our federal displaced federal employees but the lender, because there’s going to be money held up that they will not receive,” said Calvin Hawkins, Prince George’s County Council Member at-Large.

They have not yet heard from the governor’s office but Hawkins said it will likely take another two months to implement and then in the third month they plan to be prepared to work with the resident and the lender.

Laid off federal workers could get hiring preference in Montgomery County bill

What they’re saying:

FOX 5 asked people for their thoughts and found out almost everyone knows someone impacted by the cuts.

“I think it’s a great idea. I mean, if we can keep them in their house and not be homeless, like, that works for me,” resident Jason Byrd said.

“One of my friends, she just lost her job two weeks ago and…you know, I imagine she’s going to be struggling,” said Nadie Shoenam. 

Hawkins said the proposal has been mostly met with support, although there are some that have reservations about the financial impact it will have at the local and state level. But that is where they intend to get the lenders in on the conversation early to work out a plan.

“The few that have reservations in this fiscal situation we find our Dire Straits of physical state and at the local level, which is more concerned what kind of financial impact this more important is working with the mortgage lender to see how much they work with us helping these Individuals

At a roundtable discussion hosted by Senator Van Hollen in Baltimore County Tuesday, veterans said they were disproportionately impacted by the Trump administration’s efforts to reduce the size of the federal workforce.

According to Van Hollen, the federal government employs more than 700,000 veterans, including 40,000 in Maryland – with a significant amount being disabled veterans. 

In Maryland, many veterans said they were shocked after losing their jobs, while others who were still employed said they were uncertain about their job security. 

Why is the Trump administration shrinking the federal workforce?

In February, President Trump said the federal workforce was too big, describing it as “bloated”, and being filled with “people that are unnecessary.”

An order instructing federal agencies to lay off all probationary federal employees who had not yet gained civil service protection followed Mr. Trump’s remarks. 

Van Hollen said Tuesday that many terminated employees were told they were being fired for “poor performance”, despite having excellent service records and strong performance evaluations.

“In firing these veterans who were federal employees, they got notices claiming that they were fired for, quote, poor performance, when in fact, so many have gotten recent reviews and evaluations with glowing performance reports. So this was just a big lie.”

Some experts told CBS News that contrary to Mr. Trump’s statements, the federal workforce has seen little growth since 1980, with agencies like the FAA suffering from ongoing staffing shortages. 

How many veterans have lost their jobs?

Senator Van Hollen said that an estimated “6,000 veterans across the country have lost their jobs” to date. Many of those 6,000 employees are receiving offers to get their jobs back after intervention from the Supreme Court.

Earlier this month, the Veterans Affairs Department said it plans to cut more than 70,000 workers, returning the size of the agency to just under 400,000 employees as it was in 2019. 

Veterans fearful of reduced services

Critics say that firing thousands of VA employees will have devastating impacts on veterans, potentially leading to longer wait times for medical care, slower processing of disability claims, and reduced access to the Veterans Crisis Line. 

“They are talking about 80,000 people being laid off by the Department of Veterans Affairs. These are people all over the country who help process benefits. They work in veterans’ hospitals. So that would be a huge hit to the services that we provide to veterans as a country,” Van Hollen said. 

Octavia Hayton, a Marine Corps veteran and former VA contractor, shared how she benefited from VA services and feared what would happen if those services were reduced. 

“The VA has helped support me with education benefits. I was able to get health care. I was able to get mental health support. I don’t know where I would be without that support, genuinely,” Hayton said. 

How have the layoffs impacted Maryland veterans?

Vincent Camacho, a recently terminated veteran, says he was recently terminated after serving 24 years in the military.

“How can my country now say, as I was told in my termination letter, ‘The agency finds, based on your performance, that you have not demonstrated that your further employment at the agency would be in the public interest’?” Camacho said. 

Camacho added that he received an email saying he was reinstated to his position, but “placed on administrative leave pending further guidance.” 

“I’m not even sure when I’ll be returning to work—or at this point if I’m even going to be returning to work,” Camacho explained.

Hayton said she experienced a sudden financial strain after she learned that her job was no longer going to be supported. 

“About three weeks ago, I got my notice that my job was no longer going to be supported and the contract had been canceled. Fortunately, my husband is still employed, so we’re not without completely, but now he has more pressure on him,” Hayton said.

Hayton also said the layoffs add to the already difficult process of transitioning out of the military into civilian life. 

“The transition out of the military is very, very difficult… The military, being a Marine, being an airman, being a soldier, whatever—it’s not a job. It’s your life. When you change your whole life to now fit into the civilian world, it presents so many challenges,” Hayton said. 

Some veteran support organizations say they are overwhelmed by the sheer number of veterans seeking help.

“When you have groups that are meant to bolster the efforts of the VA getting to a point where they’re just taking on so many constituents that they’re now strained, it has an incredibly adverse impact on the veteran community,” Patrick Taylor, from the Baltimore County Executive’s Office noted. 

Maryland leaders pushback against federal layoffs

In a hearing on March 13, Howard County Executive Calvin Ball said an estimated 30,000 federal workers in Maryland have been fired, eliminated, or resigned. 

Earlier this month, Maryland joined a 19-state lawsuit over the Trump administration’s mass firings of federal probationary employees.

In the lawsuit, the attorneys general argued that federal agencies were required to follow “Reduction in Force” protocols, which include giving preference to military veterans and providing state governments with at least 60 days’ notice before laying off 50 or more employees. 

After the lawsuit, two federal judges independently ordered the Trump administration to rehire the fired probationary employees. 

Efforts to support veterans 

With many veterans suddenly unemployed, Maryland’s Department of Veteran and Military Families (DVMF) is stepping in to provide job fairs, employment support, and resource guides. 

We’ve been preparing resource guides and finding more information for veterans. We’re going out to outreach every day. We have two job fairs tomorrow,” Denise Nooe, the Deputy Director of the DVMF’s Communications and Outreach & Advocacy Program said.

Beyond government assistance, lawmakers are also pushing to expand support for veteran-owned businesses. Van Hollen pointed to past initiatives aimed at helping veterans transition into entrepreneurship, like the launch of the Veterans Institute for Procurement.

Thousands of people seeking answers about the recent federal job cuts tuned into a virtual town hall with Maryland Gov. Wes Moore on Monday night.

At its peak, over 5,000 people were listening in, asking questions and voicing their concerns. Among them, some asked about what programs were available to support contractors? How they can still sustain the state’s economy? And what can they, as Marylanders, do to “fight back?”

Gov. Moore told those listening that he’s sympathetic to what they’re going through, adding, “You deserve better.”

He outlined some of the programs that can be found online to help people who have lost jobs and announced a new initiative.

“Maryland is officially partnering with the nonprofit organization Work For America, to help us recruit and retain public servants who want to work in state government,” he said.

Moore also told attendees that there is hope, but people need to mobilize.

“That’s exactly what we’re doing here in Maryland. So, we cannot control the actions of this White House, but we can control how we respond,” he said.

Moore also said the state will continue to put pressure on the federal government to follow through on the commitment to build a new FBI headquarters in Greenbelt.

“On every single basis, this has been a long, transparent process that Greenbelt won this competition for the new FBI building and we are ready to go,” Moore said regarding reaching out to members of Congress.

President Donald Trump recently said he would stop the move to Greenbelt and instead build a new FBI headquarters in D.C.

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser seemingly agreed with the president, saying the new headquarters would “create a nexus with the rest of our vision for the downtown.”

On Friday, Moore and the Maryland’s Democratic lawmakers in Congress released a joint statement, vowing to continue fighting for the headquarters to be built in Greenbelt.

“The GSA selected Greenbelt for the new, consolidated FBI headquarters because it is the best site, offering the lowest price and the best value to taxpayers,” they said. “We will continue working to bring the headquarters to Maryland.”

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