Loyalty-Tests

Budget Bill Attempts Schedule F Through Financial Coercion of Federal Employees

| Importance: 6/10

House version of reconciliation bill contained Section 90002 requiring new federal employees to choose between keeping civil service protections while paying 9.4% of salary toward retirement (versus current 4.4%) or becoming at-will employees with no job protections. Senate initially proposed rates …

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Trump Administration Implements Loyalty Tests for Federal Hiring

| Importance: 8/10

OPM’s Merit Hiring Plan requires applicants at GS-05 level and above to write four 200-word essays including how they would advance Trump’s policy …

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Stephen Miller demands 3,000 daily ICE arrests, triggers leadership purge

| Importance: 9/10

Stephen Miller and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem held a tense meeting at ICE headquarters demanding field offices achieve 3,000 daily arrests—triple the early administration numbers. Miller threatened to fire the bottom 10% of directors monthly if quotas weren’t met. A week later, Kenneth Genalo …

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Federal job applicants required to write MAGA loyalty essays

| Importance: 6/10

In May 2025, the Trump administration implemented a controversial ‘Merit Hiring Plan’ requiring federal job applicants at GS-5 and above to write essays about Trump’s policies. Applicants must describe how they would advance specific executive orders, effectively creating an ideological screening …

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Federal candidates asked to confirm January 6 'inside job' and 2020 'stolen'

| Importance: 6/10

Federal job candidates required to confirm January 6 was an ‘inside job’ and 2020 election was ‘stolen,’ with social media screening for MAGA loyalty indicators and campaign participation required for new hires.

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Acting ICE Director Vitello removed for failing to meet impossible deportation quotas

| Importance: 8/10

Acting ICE Director Caleb Vitello, a 20-year ICE veteran, was removed from his position on February 21, 2025, after failing to meet deportation quotas of 3,000 daily arrests despite only achieving 1,200-1,400 per day. Vitello was reassigned to a senior enforcement role after just one month leading …

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Federal job applicants required to write essays on advancing Trump's orders

| Importance: 5/10

Loyalty testing regime implemented requiring federal job applicants to write essays explaining how they’d advance Trump’s executive orders, with social media screening for MAGA support becoming standard hiring practice.

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