The Trump administration has significantly reduced staffing at the Office of Population Affairs (OPA) during a government shutdown led by Democrats, which critics say will severely impact the agency operating under the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
OPA has been around for over 50 years, focusing on reproductive health and youth services, including areas like teen pregnancy and family planning. The previous Biden administration used OPA to promote initiatives like abortion and provide gender reassignment services through family planning.
Reports indicate that nearly all OPA employees were locked out of their government email accounts and computers on Friday, as confirmed by several anonymous staff members. By Wednesday afternoon, those who reached out to human resources about their employment status discovered their emails had been disabled due to what was described as “downsizing.”
A federal judge issued a temporary block on Wednesday against sweeping layoffs of federal employees during the shutdown, but it was still ambiguous which specific employees would be affected by this ruling as of Wednesday night.
An HHS spokesperson confirmed via email that all employees receiving layoff notices had been deemed “non-essential” by their departments.
Advocates for reproductive health, often considered proponents of abortion rights, noted that dismantling OPA would deprive women of essential services necessary for family planning and childbearing decisions.
Jessica Marcella, who served as deputy assistant secretary for population affairs in the Biden administration, expressed concern that the critical health resources could vanish instantly without proper leadership. “If there is no one to run it, the program ceases to exist functionally,” she stated.
However, sources suggested that some operations within OPA are expected to keep running despite the staffing reductions.
Importantly, the Trump administration proposed to fully eliminate the Title X program in its 2026 budget presentation. Focus has shifted towards addressing infertility challenges to counteract the declining birth rates in the country.
Insiders indicated that the administration is likely to pursue these infertility initiatives through other governmental avenues.
