DOGE Job Cuts Severely Impact FOIA Processing Across Federal Agencies

A Washington Post investigation published March 15, 2026 found that DOGE-driven workforce reductions have severely degraded the federal government's ability to process Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests. Agencies across the executive branch — including DOJ, DHS, and State — have lost FOIA staff, creating backlogs that critics say undermine government transparency obligations under federal law. The 12% reduction in the federal civilian workforce since Trump's second inauguration has compounded administrative capacity challenges.