The Trump administration’s offer to federal employees to accept a deferred resignation does not include employees from either U.S. Customs and Border Protection or Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The Trump administration sent an email to nearly every federal employee on Wednesday informing them that, in lieu of returning to the office in February as ordered by a Trump executive order, they may elect to resign by Feb. 6 but continue to work remotely, be paid, and receive benefits for eight months.”
However, emails sent to all CBP and ICE staff on Friday informed employees of the two Department of Homeland Security agencies they are not eligible for the program, known as the Deferred Resignation Program, even if they responded affirmatively to the initial offer.
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“It has been determined ICE is not allowed to participate in the DRP. All ICE positions are excluded, and Deferred Resignation is not available to any ICE employees,” Tyshawn Thomas, ICE’s chief human capital officer, wrote in his email to staff. “If you responded in the affirmative to OPM’s email, ICE will not be able to proceed with your participation. Thank you for your understanding and continued dedication.”
CBP officials confirmed to the Washington Examiner that they received a similar notice from CBP leadership.
Neither DHS nor the White House said if all DHS employees are ineligible for the DRP. Members of the military, U.S. postal workers, and other national security-focused agencies are also ineligible for the program.
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Earlier on Friday, White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller told reporters at the White House that “a large number of federal workers” have already accepted the offer ahead of the Feb. 6 deadline.
“Federal workers who are not happy in their jobs, who don’t want to show up at work, who do not want to be in the office, who are not passionate about what they’re doing, are often not the kind of federal worker you want responsible for having enormous authority over the lives of the American people,” he stated. “This is happening in conjunction with a wholesale reform of the hiring process in the federal government to find people who are really dedicated to service at the absolute highest level.”
