WASHINGTON, Oct. 10 (Xinhua) -- The Trump administration announced Friday that federal layoffs had begun, as the federal government shutdown entered its 10th day.

"The RIFs have begun," Russell Vought, White House Office of Management and Budget director, said on social media platform X, referring to "Reduction in Force." The brief post did not disclose the number of employees affected or the specific departments involved.

According to U.S. media reports, this round of federal layoffs could be large in scale and wide in impact, with the U.S. Homeland Security Department, the Health and Human Services Department, and the Treasury Department all planning layoffs.

U.S. President Donald Trump and White House officials repeatedly stated that federal workers would face layoffs if the government shutdown occurs, and they blamed Democrats for the situation. Democratic leaders, however, argued that Republicans were attempting to use federal employees as pawns in this budget dispute, calling it intimidation and threat.

The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), which represents around 800,000 workers, reposted Vought's announcement on X, stating that "the lawsuit has been filed."

"It is disgraceful that the Trump administration has used the government shutdown as an excuse to illegally fire thousands of workers who provide critical services to communities across the country," AFGE National President Everett Kelley stated.

"Federal workers are tired of being used as pawns for the political and personal gains of the elected and un-elected leaders. It's time for Congress to do their jobs and negotiate an end to this shutdown immediately," said Kelley.

Meanwhile, the congressional deadlock remains unresolved. On Thursday, the U.S. Senate failed to pass a new temporary funding bill, with proposals from both Democrats and Republicans once again rejected. Democrats sought to expand healthcare benefits in the bill, while Republicans insisted on passing a "clean" short-term funding measure first, leaving the two sides at an impasse.

Typically, during a U.S. government shutdown, employees providing "essential services" work without pay, while hundreds of thousands of others are forced to take unpaid leave. Once the government reopens, these employees usually receive back pay. U.S. media noted that permanently firing federal employees during a shutdown deviates from traditional practices. Enditem