USDA RIF Plans Leak

Contrary to rumors, there was no secret leak of USDA Reorganization and Reduction in Force (RIF) plans. Instead, the USDA RIF 2025 details became public in late July 2025 when the department released its own reorganization plan. This plan involves relocating more than half of its Washington, D.C. workforce to five regional hubs and reducing its workforce by about 15,000 employees through early retirement and deferred resignation offers.

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USDA says the goal is to improve efficiency and move employees closer to the communities they serve, in response to staffing growth under the previous administration.

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The long-speculated “USDA RIF plans leak” narrative gained traction after a newly released federal agency list confirmed that USDA was among agencies linked to upcoming downsizing efforts. The list, disclosed by government attorneys in July 2025, covers about 40 RIFs across 17 agencies part of the wider reduction in force across the federal government in 2025.

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However, the document provides little clarity on the exact scope, timing, or impact of these job cuts, and officials have stressed it should not be seen as a definitive layoff schedule.

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The existence of the list first surfaced on June 2, 2025, when Justice Department lawyers asked the Supreme Court to lift a lower-court injunction blocking RIF actions. In their filing, they revealed the scale of planned reductions, which include agencies such as the General Services Administration (GSA) now tied to the GSA RIF 2025 discussions.

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By July 8, 2025, the Supreme Court granted the stay, opening the door for agencies to move forward with their downsizing or reorganization plans. Since then, federal employee unions and government lawyers have debated whether full Agency RIF and Reorganization Plans (ARRPs) should be made public.

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If you work for USDA, GSA, or any federal agency on the 2025 RIF list, the clock is ticking. Job cuts and relocations are moving forward, and waiting could mean losing valuable benefits or career options. Get clear answers now before the decisions are made for you.

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How the USDA RIF Plans Leak Surfaced and Why Officials Downplayed It

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The list’s existence became public on June 2, when Justice Department attorneys asked the Supreme Court to overturn a lower-court ruling that had halted RIF activity. Their application stated “about 40 RIFs in 17 agencies were in progress and are currently enjoined.”
After the Court granted the stay on July 8, union and government attorneys began litigating whether the details behind the “40 RIFs in 17 agencies” plus each agency’s ARRP should be released.

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Initially, the administration resisted, calling the documents “predecisional.” But in a subsequent filing, government lawyers submitted an OPM declaration listing the agencies tied to the RIF estimate. At the same time, officials softened prior language, saying they did not know how many employees were involved or whether particular RIFs actually occurred and that the figure was an estimate, not a verified count.

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What the OPM Declaration Actually Says (and Why the “40 RIFs” Number Is Squishy)

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In a declaration to Judge Susan Illston, Noah Peters, Senior Advisor to OPM, explained that the “40 RIFs” was built from waiver approvals agencies sought to:

• create new competitive areas for RIFs, or
  
  
• use shorter-than-90-day notice windows.
  
  

OPM used waiver approvals as proxy indicators of where RIF activity might be connected to Executive Order 14210 and therefore within the scope of the earlier court injunction. Peters emphasized the method was imperfect “over-inclusive in some ways but under-inclusive in other ways.”

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Critically, there is no centralized count of employees potentially affected because agencies weren’t required to include headcounts in waiver requests. Some actions may have been completed before May 9, 2025 (the date of the TRO). Others may have been abandoned as circumstances changed after May 9. And in some cases, agencies sent entire org charts to OPM without intending to conduct RIFs in every competitive area listed.

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The Agencies Named in the USDA RIF Plans Leak (The Full List)

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Per the OPM-linked estimate, the “about 40 RIFs” spanned 17 agencies:

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• U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
  
  
• General Services Administration (GSA)
  
  
• Department of the Treasury
  
  
• Department of Health and Human Services
  
  
• Department of the Interior
  
  
• Department of Transportation
  
  
• Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service
  
  
• U.S. Agency for Global Media
  
  
• Department of Commerce
  
  
• Department of Labor
  
  
• Department of Housing and Urban Development
  
  
• Institute of Museum and Library Services
  
  
• National Archives and Records Administration
  
  
• National Endowment for the Humanities
  
  
• Department of State
  
  
• U.S. African Development Foundation
  
  
• Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars
  
  

Inclusion on the list indicates waiver activity tied to potential RIF actions not definitive proof that a RIF occurred or will occur.

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Why Unions Want the ARRPs and What the Supreme Court Left Open

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Federal union attorneys continue to press for release of the full Agency RIF and Reorganization Plans (ARRPs). Their argument: the Supreme Court explicitly did not rule on the legality of any individual plan, writing that it expressed “no view on the legality of any Agency RIF and Reorganization Plan produced or approved pursuant to the Executive Order.” The justices also noted the dissolved injunction wasn’t based on an assessment of the plans themselves leaving room to litigate those plans’ legality and transparency now.

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Where the Court Stands Now (Judge Illston’s View and the Ninth Circuit Pause)

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Judge Susan Illston has signaled she’s inclined to reject the government’s use of the deliberative process privilege, at least for final ARRPs at the 17 agencies named before the Supreme Court. In her view, if defendants treated those RIFs as enjoined, then the final ARRPs that produced those RIFs are not predecisional. And even if they were, she found the unions’ arguments about the privilege’s qualified nature persuasive.

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She ordered the government to provide the plans for in camera review (a private judicial review). The government appealed, and the Ninth Circuit has temporarily stayed that order while it considers a longer-term pause meaning public release remains uncertain for now.

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What This Means for Employees in 2025 (Practical Takeaways)

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• Not a confirmed layoff list: The “USDA RIF plans leak” reflects waiver-based estimation, not an official, comprehensive ledger of layoffs.
  
  
• Status varies by agency: Some actions may have finished before May 9, others never started, and some may be re-scoped post-injunction.
  
  
• Transparency fight ongoing: Whether final ARRPs become public depends on the Ninth Circuit’s next steps and Judge Illston’s ultimate rulings.
  
  
• Stay close to official channels: Watch agency HR memos, OPM updates, and union guidance. If you receive notice: review retention registers, service comp dates, and appeal rights promptly.

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Keep records of position descriptions, performance reviews, veterans’ preference documents, and any communications relevant to RIF procedures.

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Key Dates at a Glance

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• June 2, 2025: DOJ mentions “about 40 RIFs in 17 agencies” in a Supreme Court filing.
  
  
• May 9, 2025: Date of the court’s temporary restraining order (some RIFs may have concluded before this).
  
  
• July 8, 2025: Supreme Court grants stay; injunction lifted.
  
  
• August 2025: Ongoing litigation over ARRP disclosure; Ninth Circuit issues temporary pause on Judge Illston’s in-camera review order.

‍Bottom Line

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The USDA RIF plans leak provides the clearest list yet of agencies tied to potential 2025 RIF activity but it’s not a definitive downsizing ledger. The “40 RIFs in 17 agencies” line came from a waiver-based estimate, which officials now caution was imperfect. Whether we’ll see the final ARRPs and the real scope behind them depends on how the Ninth Circuit rules and what follows in Judge Illston’s court.

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FAQ: USDA RIF Plans Leak & 2025 Federal RIFs

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Does the USDA RIF plans leak mean layoffs are definite at USDA?

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No. USDA’s inclusion means waivers were tied to potential RIF actions. The OPM declaration stresses the list is an estimate, not confirmation of active or completed layoffs.

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Why is there no count of affected employees?

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Agencies weren’t required to include headcounts in waiver requests. There’s no centralized number in the OPM filing.

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Could some RIFs already be finished?

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Yes. Some actions may have concluded before May 9, when the TRO was issued.

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Will the full agency plans (ARRPs) be made public?

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Unclear. Judge Illston is open to disclosure of final plans, but the Ninth Circuit has paused her order pending appeal.

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What should employees do now?

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Monitor official HR updates, stay in touch with unions, and, if notified, act quickly on your rights (review retention standing, bump/retreat options, MSPB appeal timelines).

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