Federal employees in Seattle rally against mass Trump administration layoffs

Federal employees in Seattle are speaking out against the Trump administration and tech billionaire Elon Musk over recent layoffs and firings across the government.

More than 120 people joined a protest in support of federal employees outside of the Henry M. Jackson Federal Building in downtown Seattle on Friday. Many carried signs criticizing President Donald Trump and Musk, who's acting as an advisor to the administration.

Ambrose Dieringer joined the protest, carrying a sign saying "Delete DOGE, fire Musk."

"I'm out here because I want to get back to work protecting consumers and I'm not allowed to do that," Dieringer told KUOW.

Dieringer has worked for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau for 12 years, and currently works as an oversight analyst. He was placed on administrative leave two weeks ago.

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The bureau was opened in 2011 to monitor different parts of the consumer finance industry, such as credit card companies and debt collection agencies. But the Trump administration has recently targeted the CFPB for mass layoffs.

Dieringer said he felt "disgusted" watching Musk post about dismantling the bureau on social media.

"I think one of the reasons we're on Elon's radar is because we regulate a number of his businesses, from the finance arm of Tesla to [social media platform] X. So we're standing in between him and making even more money," Dieringer said.

The last two weeks have been "traumatic" and "stressful" for Dieringer and his family, he said. He's worried about his family's financial security, but on a deeper level, he's fearful of the impact of the Trump administration's actions on the bureau's mission.

"The mission is to protect consumers from predatory lenders, shady student loan practices, having your cars taken away from you, having your homes taken away from you," Dieringer said. "All those things are not currently being enforced right now because we are completely shut down."

Many non-federal workers also attended the protest in solidarity.

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Nica, a nonprofit worker, attended the rally in support of her husband, who works for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

KUOW agreed not to publish Nica's last name or her husband's name due to their fear of retribution.

Nica said half of her husbands' colleagues have been fired, and his employment within the agency looks unclear beyond March.

"All of the projects that his team has been working on — helping people find housing and prevent from being unhoused — all those are just gone."

According to the Washington State Employment Security Department, Washington is home to about 76,000 federal employees, with most being located in Kitsap and King counties.

As of Feb. 21, 650 federal employees in Washington state have filed unemployment claims so far this year.