By Tashi McQueen
AFRO Staff Writer
tmcqueen@afro.com
Standing at the Maryland State House, Jonathan Hairston, a Black Army veteran, recounted the personal and professional toll of being abruptly laid off in the massive purge of federal workers across multiple departments within the U.S. president’s cabinet.
Photo Credit: Photo courtesy of the Office of the Governor Maryland
“This was not just a professional blow, it was a personal one when it affected my family, my livelihood and the trust that I had in the process that was supposed to be fair and transparent,” Hairston said, during a Feb. 28 live-streamed press conference. “This process has been cruel and it has been heartless.”
Hairston described how on Feb. 14, after work hours, he received an email notifying him of his termination, effective Feb. 18 at 5 p.m. The timing left him with just four days to seek clarity, address his concerns and come up with a plan to pivot.
“I stand before you today, not just as a public servant, but as a husband, a father and as a veteran who has dedicated his life to service, both in uniform and for the federal government,” Hairston said on Feb. 28 at a live-streamed press conference. “I stand before you as someone who was wrongfully dismissed, left questioning the very system I swore to uphold.”
These layoffs were initiated by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), at the direction of Elon Musk, in response to the 47th president’s promise to cut federal spending.
On Feb. 28, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) announced initiatives to support Maryland residents impacted by these layoffs.
“What I have seen over these past six weeks is worse than anything we could have anticipated,” Moore said. “At this point, we anticipate almost all probationary workers in the federal government either have been or likely will be laid off. In Maryland alone, that amounts to around 10,000 people.”
“I fear the arbitrary cuts and firings that we have seen over the last six weeks are just the beginning,” Moore added.
Moore outlined five steps his administration will take to help impacted Marylanders.
They include, building out online resources, connecting federal workers with opportunities in education, moving in partnership with local and county leaders, recruiting federal workers into available state jobs and updating state processes to expedite hiring.
Moore announced a virtual information session on March 7, followed by in-person job fairs in Prince George’s County, Md. and Baltimore City.
State officials report that as of Feb. 28, more than 450 people have filed for unemployment insurance benefits with the state.
According to Maryland officials, there are 1,600 teacher vacancies. State officials also shared that there are 250 state jobs currently posted, but assured that there are more vacancies that will be posted.
The AFRO reached out to several members of the Maryland General Assembly Republican leadership, but did not immediately get responses to comment on the matter.
Moore urged further mobilization from state agencies and nonprofit organizations to help those impacted.
“This mobilization is not about an individual agency,” said Moore. “This is the moment when Maryland is going to get creative. That’s why the announcement today wasn’t just a call out to our state agencies and our departments, it was a call out to the private sector.”
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