A thinning roster at Indian Affairs leaves tribes wondering who's left to help, watchdog reports
The Government Accountability Office has long warned that staffing shortages in the Interior Department’s Indian Affairs bureaus have hindered service delivery to tribes. Nevertheless, the component was not spared from the Trump administration’s federal workforce reductions.
In a report released on Wednesday, GAO found that Indian Affairs’ job cuts have left critical vacancies, causing concern among tribal leaders about the future effectiveness of programs that support law enforcement, schools and natural resource management.
Investigators reported that Indian Affairs’ workforce has experienced an 11% net decrease since January 2025, going from 7,470 employees to 6,624.
These reductions are primarily due to two voluntary separation programs that Indian Affairs offered in 2025. Such programs generally put employees who agreed to leave government service on paid administrative leave through Sept. 30, 2025. The agency also instituted a hiring freeze but has been able to obtain waivers to bring on some staffers.
https://www.govexec.com/oversight/2026/02/thinning-roster-indian-affairs-leaves-tribes-wondering-whos-left-help-watchdog-reports/411217/