Friday 16/May/2025 – 08:51 PM
The administration of US President Donald Trump has completed the contracts of approximately 600 employees on Voice of America Voice of America, the international news network funded by the US government, according to the New York Times.
The decision was announced on Thursday, when it included journalists and administrative employees, representing more than a third of the workforce in the network, and the administration indicated that the move comes within the framework of the government’s comfort, taking advantage of the status of workers as external contractors who do not have the legal protection granted to federal employees.
A number of dismissed journalists, who from other countries, may face the risk of immediate deportation, because their visas are linked to their functions on “Voice of America”.
Fears of political motives behind this step
The decision came despite the issuance of a previous judicial order that obliges the government to maintain the network’s news operations, as it comes amid the escalation of President Trump’s criticism, who had accused America earlier of publishing extremist content, which raised concerns about political motives behind this step.
In an internal message, Michael Abramovits, the network manager, expressed his deep sorrow over what he described as unjustified decision, stressing that he had filed a lawsuit to prevent network operations. According to The Hill, the employees were informed of the necessity of handing over their press cards, the Foundation’s slogans and their property by May 30.
