More than 10,000 lawyers have left the Trump administration leaving multiple agencies understaffed, report says | The Independent
More than 10,000 government lawyers have departed the Trump administration since his inauguration, with approximately one in five federal attorneys who worked at the end of 2024 gone by March 2026, according to a New York Times analysis. Trump systematically removed lawyers across multiple agencies to reduce the federal workforce, eliminate entire departments, and pressure remaining attorneys to implement his agenda without regard to constitutional legality. The Department of Education, which Trump seeks to dismantle permanently, lost over 50 percent of its legal staff, while the Justice Department experienced a 21 percent reduction in attorneys.
The Justice Department purged lawyers working on cases misaligned with Trump's priorities, firing prosecutors assigned to January 6 investigations and cases against Trump himself, and removing career prosecutors who refused to indict Trump's political opponents. Attorneys voluntarily departed after witnessing unprecedented pressure from officials demanding they execute Trump's personal agenda. The administration now offers $25,000 signing bonuses and lowered hiring standards to fill vacancies, yet prospective lawyers remain reluctant to accept positions, fearing association with the administration damages their future employability and legal careers.
The Department of Homeland Security was the only agency to gain lawyers, necessitated by litigation stemming from Trump's mass deportation plan and resulting immigration cases. The Department of Education is attempting to rehire lawyers it previously terminated, with Secretary Linda McMahon telling senators in April that she was bringing back dismissed staff to address a backlog of civil rights complaints. The mass exodus has left multiple government agencies understaffed and struggling to recruit qualified legal talent.
Within his first year, Trump directed government lawyers to defend policies lacking constitutional foundation, including attempts to eliminate birthright citizenship, expand executive power, and deploy the National Guard into U.S. cities during protests. The Treasury Department's top lawyer recently resigned following the DOJ's announcement of a $1.776 billion "Anti-Weaponization Fund" that would compensate individuals claiming unfair prosecution, including January 6 rioters pardoned by Trump. This fund effectively uses taxpayer money to indemnify those convicted of crimes connected to Trump's attempts to overturn the 2020 election.