President Donald Trump's administration acknowledged on Sunday night that some federal government employees who took the "Fork in the Road" buyout offer were also, subsequently, fired or let go — and that this was an error.

An Office of Personnel Management official told ABC News that some employees who responded to the buyout offer ahead of the deadline last week may have received termination notices by mistake but, for those personnel, the buyouts agreements would be honored.

Nick Detter told ABC News that he is one of those workers. Detter, a natural resource specialist with the USDA, said he was fired Thursday even though he already accepted the administration's buyout offer, meaning that he should have been paid through September.

Despite OPM’s explanation, Detter says he hasn’t been able to get any guidance directly. He said that his supervisors in Kansas, where he’s based, told him they have no information.

"I frankly find it pretty insulting and chaotic and disorganized," Detter told ABC News.

"I would never say that there's no room for improvement efficiency in the federal government," he said. "But in my experience over the last month with this whole thing, that's not what this has been. This has just been slash and burn."

-ABC News' Rachel Scott, Cheyenne Haslett, Sarah Lang and Ariana Nalty

Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency has requested access to an IRS data system that retains the personal tax information on millions of Americans, two sources familiar with the matter told ABC News.

The system, known as the Integrated Data Retrieval System, or IDRS, is used by IRS employees to review tax information, issue notices to taxpayers and update taxpayer records.

Access to the data, which is tightly controlled within the agency, had not been granted as of this weekend, several sources told ABC News.

-ABC News' Anne Flaherty, Soo Youn, Benjamin Siegel, Olivia Rubin and Hannah Demissie

President Donald Trump's administration lodged its first emergency appeal with the U.S. Supreme Court on Sunday, seeking to dissolve a 14-day temporary restraining order against the president's move to fire the head of the Office of Special Counsel, Hampton Dellinger.

Dellinger, who was confirmed last year, heads an independent watchdog agency tasked with enforcing ethics laws and protecting government whistleblowers. He was fired on Feb. 7 with no rationale given.

A federal district court issued a TRO against the firing, after which the U.S. Court of Appeals for D.C. on Saturday upheld the TRO, 2-1, saying the issue was not yet ripe for intervention.

As the appeal bumps the matter to the Supreme Court, a 1935 precedent is likely to come into play: Humphrey's Executor v. United States unanimously upheld Congress' ability to constrain a president's control over independent agencies. Their leaders historically can only be removed for "inefficiency, neglect of duty or malfeasance in office.”

The Supreme Court is expected to weigh in over the next few days.

-ABC News' Devin Dwyer

In a stern four-page letter, a Department of Education official warned schools at every level to end discrimination on the basis of race -- or else they will face a "potential loss of federal funding." Compliance with the memo was expected within 14 days, with the letter posted Feb. 14.

"Under any banner, discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin is, has been, and will continue to be illegal," wrote the DOE's acting assistant secretary for civil rights, Craig Trainor.

Denouncing diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in any form, the memo also stated that race-based decision-making, no matter the form, remains “impermissible.”

"DEI programs, for example, frequently preference certain racial groups and teach students that certain racial groups bear unique moral burdens that others do not," the letter emphasized, adding that such programs "stigmatize" students and reduce them to "crude racial stereotypes."

“The law is clear: treating students differently on the basis of race to achieve nebulous goals such as diversity, racial balancing, social justice, or equity is illegal,” the DOE memo continued.

The four-page letter was sent in the wake of Linda McMahon’s confirmation hearing last week to become the next education secretary -- during which she also disparaged DEI programs for segregating students based on race. The vote on McMahon's placement is expected Thursday.

-ABC News' Arthur Jones and Peter Charalambous