After taking the recent buyout offer, some employees were fired, a source said.
President Donald Trump's administration, including Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency, is continuing its sweeping effort to cut much of the federal government -- but it's being met with legal challenges.
Trump is also making his second administration's first forays on the diplomatic front with calls to Russia's Vladimir Putin and Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy on ending the 3-year-old war that began in February 2022 when Russia invaded Ukraine.
And a day after Hamas released more hostages taken when it attacked Israel in October 2023, Secretary of State Marco Rubio agreed with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the militant organization needs to be "eliminated."
More than 1,000 new workers were dismissed as part of the new wave of layoffs, the Department of Veterans Affairs said in a statement Thursday evening.
-ABC News' Ben Siegel
In a meeting Thursday, United States Office of Personnel Management acting Director Charles Ezell informed probationary employees that they were being laid off and instructed them to "gather your personal belongings and exit the premises" according to audio of the meeting obtained by ABC News.
Earlier in the day, OPM probationary employees who declined the deferred resignation offer were called to a midday meeting where Ezell informed them that their employment had been terminated, multiple sources told ABC News.
The meeting came as the Trump administration began laying off thousands of employees across numerous agencies, sources said
"Good afternoon, thank you for taking the time to meet with me today. This is a difficult conversation, and I want to be direct, while also ensuring that you have all the information and support that you need," Ezell said, according to the audio.
"You will receive your termination notice via email shortly, and it will include the reasons for termination. As a result, your employment with the Office of Personnel Management will end today.”
Ezell also told impacted employees that their "physical and IT system access will be deactivated by 3 p.m. ET today" and added, "We ask that you gather your personal belongings and exit the premises by 3 p.m. ET as well," instructing employees to leave all government property at their desks before departing.
"Understand that this may be unexpected and this is difficult news. While this decision is final, we want to ensure that you have all the information you need for next steps," he added, directing employees to contact HR.
Ezell closed the meeting by expressing hope that those fired would "use this as an opportunity for your next step forward."
-ABC News' Will Steakin
The president of the country’s largest federal employee union slammed the Trump administration’s planned mass layoffs, calling the move a "blatant violation of the principles of fairness and merit that are supposed to govern federal employment."
"These firings are not about poor performance -- there is no evidence these employees were anything but dedicated public servants. They are about power,” said American Federation of Government Employees President Everett Kelley.
"They are about gutting the federal government, silencing workers, and forcing agencies into submission to a radical agenda that prioritizes cronyism over competence," Kelley added.
This new wave of firings could impact more than 200,000 workers hired by the federal government within the last two years, according to data from the Office of Personnel Management.
-ABC News' Peter Charalambous and Ben Siegel
During a press conference with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President Donald Trump was asked about his administration's comments that Ukraine will not be able to gain NATO membership or its pre-2014 borders during negotiations to end the war started by Russia.
"You have suggested several things Ukraine should give up. ... What should Russia give up?" a reporter asked.
Like he has before, Trump claimed the war would have never happened if he were president.
"But as far as the negotiations, it's too early to say what's going to happen," he said. "Maybe Russia will give up a lot. Maybe they won't. It's all dependent on what is going to happen. The negotiation really hasn't started."
