Impacted units in the Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy include the Office of Bilateral and Regional Affairs and Office of Strategy, Programs and Communications.

WASHINGTON − An ideologically divided Supreme Court on July 14 allowed the Trump administration to fire hundreds of workers from the Education Department and continue other efforts to dismantle the agency. The court's three liberal justices opposed the order, the latest win for President Donald Trump at the high court.

WASHINGTON, July 11 (Reuters) - The State Department began firing more than 1,350 U.S.-based employees on Friday as the administration of President Donald Trump presses ahead with an unprecedented overhaul of its diplomatic corps, a move critics say will undermine U.S. ability to defend and promote U.S. interests abroad.

The State Department informed U.S.-based employees on Thursday that it would soon be laying off nearly 2,000 workers as part of a plan to downsize its domestic workforce.

The State Department fired personnel and consolidated offices that help craft the U.S. diplomatic response to China’s aggression in Asia and global tech competition.

The State Department on Friday began notifying 1,353 affected workers of their pending job losses as the department reduces its workforce by 15%.

In connection with the departmental reorganization … the department is streamlining domestic operations to focus on diplomatic priorities.”

Secretary of State Marco Rubio insists he is streamlining a bloated department, but critics warn the cost to America’s standing and influence could be high.

A rally is expected, with supporters “clapping out” departing State Department employees and protesting the layoffs at 4 p.m. Friday.

The layoffs, which were confirmed by the San Diego-based coalition AfghanEvac, come amid the Trump administration’s plan to reorganize the State Department, which began cutting its workforce by around 15%. On Friday, the Associated Press reported that the department had fired more than 1,300 staffers.