The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has begun firing newly hiring officers as part of cuts ordered by the Trump Administration, The New York Times reported.
Employees, who have been hired in the past two years and are considered "probationary," are being asked to surrender their credentials to security, the Times said. It is unknown how many employees are being terminated.
A federal judge recently ruled that CIA Director John Ratcliffe is authorized to fire employees at will.
The Times said some employees have been hesitant to answer their phones and morale and productivity at the CIA has plunged.
A spokeswoman told the Times the CIA was reviewing personnel who joined the agency within the past two years and that it is not for everyone. CIA officers are formally on probation for four years.
Employees collecting information on China and Mexican drug cartels are generally being spared, the Times reported.
The CIA had its best recruiting effort in 2024 since the aftermath of 9/11, the Times said. The first two years of an officer's career features intense training in spy tradecraft, languages, and other skills, the Times reported.
"Literally millions of dollars has been put into some of these probationary employees," Kevin Carroll, a lawyer representing fired CIA employees, told the Times.
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