IRS staff reductions nationwide trigger layoffs in Holtsville branch, employees say

Employees at the Holtsville branch of the Internal Revenue Service said staff reductions were ongoing Thursday, as the Trump administration moves to downsize the federal government and terminate 6,000 IRS employees nationwide.

Department of Homeland Security officers were dispatched to the office and patrolled the hallways while IRS employees awaited their official termination via email at their desks, according to an account from one employee to Newsday.

Another employee described a scene of chaos, confusion and heartbreak Thursday as scores of employees were laid off and escorted out of the building.