SAN ANTONIO – Mayor Ron Nirenberg and council members are calling on the city government to help federal employees who were recently laid off under President Donald Trump’s administration.
Nirenberg sent a memo to City Manager Erik Walsh on Thursday to ask for support in finding jobs for fired federal employees. His message came three days after two council members and mayoral candidates made a similar request.
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“While we know that non-military federal employees comprise a considerable portion of our local workforce, an even greater portion of our region’s community is being impacted by the downstream disruption of critical services and funding,” Nirenberg said in the March 6 memo.
The Trump administration intensified its efforts to shrink the size of the federal workforce by ordering agencies to lay off nearly all probationary employees who had not yet gained civil service protection — potentially affecting hundreds of thousands of workers.
“These effects are becoming more widespread, placing further strains on our social safety nets,” Nirenberg said of the disruption.
The memo didn’t include a specific number of federal workers who have lost their jobs in San Antonio, and agencies have not publicized those numbers.
Multiple sources told ABC that more than 200,000 federal workers at more than a dozen agencies across the country have had their roles eliminated since President Donald Trump took office.
Economists have sounded the alarm on further job losses as tariffs begin to take hold, Nirenberg said, “especially those affecting Mexico, San Antonio’s largest trade partner.”
In the memo, Nirenberg mentioned the city’s Ready to Work (RTW) initiative, an education and job placement program that San Antonio voters approved in 2020. It’s meant to help participants from struggling San Antonio families get the necessary training to bring high-quality jobs in on-demand fields.
As of Monday, more than 10,000 participants have enrolled in some form of training, and over 3,000 people have completed it, according to the RTW dashboard.
Proposal could help hire federal workers
Councilman Manny Pelaez (D8) and Councilwoman Adriana Rocha Garcia (D4) — who are running for mayor in the May 3 election — sent a Council Consideration Request, or CCR, to Walsh on March 3 asking him to consider a “Re-employment Assistance for Federal Talent (RAFT) program.”
“The RAFT program is an important first step in returning stability to these San Antonians,” the council members wrote in the CCR.
RAFT would actively recruit the “most qualified” federal workers and host specific training and placement services, according to the CCR. Additionally, the program would include job fairs and coordinate with local nonprofits to provide support.
“It is critical for the city to step in and provide immediate assistance to help these skilled individuals transition back into the workforce as quickly as possible‚” the CCR states.
In his memo, Nirenberg requested the RAFT proposal be “advanced immediately.”
By implementing RAFT, Pelaez and Rocha say “San Antonio can demonstrate its commitment to the well-being and stability of its community during challenging times.”
Neither the CCR nor the mayor’s memo included any estimated costs.
Nirenberg also asked the full council be briefed at the next possible B-session on the potential impacts and possible preparations for future changes from the federal government.
A council agenda with such a briefing has not yet been posted.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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