Courtesy of The Ashforth Company
The newly created Department of Government Efficiency(DOGE) has pushed to terminate the leases of hundreds of federal offices this year. Some of these terminations include offices for the Internal Revenue Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Federal Highway Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency. These closures included ten offices in Oregon.
The cuts also have impacted Indigenous communities throughout the country. Nationwide, 25 offices held by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and 12 offices owned by the Indian Health Service (IHS) were shuttered by the DOGE order. These closures constituted approximately 30% of all agency locations. Although the move may have been illegal after a judge blocked it from proceeding, IHS employees were also under the buyout order which has created a sense of unease amongst federal employees. Two of those offices were in the Pacific Northwest, one in Toppenish, Washington for the Yakama Nation, and one in Lapwai, Idaho for the Nez Perce.
The lease terminations have been widely criticized by numerous politicians and spokespeople for tribal nations. Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), stated that these changes further erode services which Tribal Nations rely on.
“The impact on Bureau of Indian Affairs offices will be especially devastating. These offices are already underfunded, understaffed, and stretched beyond capacity, struggling to meet the needs of Tribal communities who face systemic barriers to federal resources,” Huffman Huffman wrote in a Feb. 28 press release.
Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), relayed his fears about the Trump administration’s actions in a March 18 interview with InvestigateWest, a Seattle-based investigative news outlet.
“We have to do everything we can to boost the strength of the health care core team at Indian Health Service, not do anything that would diminish it,” Merkley said.
Merkley is referring to the reported underfunding of the IHS which has already impacted reservations and offices across the country. According to InvestigateWest, in 2024 the IHS received $8.2 billion to distribute among its offices out of $80 billion requested. Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-Wa.), whose district encompasses the Yakama Nation, released a statement on March 3 in support of DOGE’s funding cuts.
“I want DOGE to also identify efficiencies in the federal government and how we can use taxpayer dollars to build on what is working for Americans,” Newhouse wrote.
The statement never mentions the BIA or IHS offices specifically, nor has Newhouse taken any action on this matter as of April 8.
These changes under the Trump administration are not surprising for many Tribes.During Trump’s first term, several Tribes faced slashes to funding and saw worse health outcomes from the COVID-19 pandemic. This included late distribution of funds by many months, with many tribal nations receiving a $10 billion relief package during the height of the pandemic.
Some tribal members have already been affected by the new federal administration. Native News Online reported earlier this year that members of the Navajo Nation have been facing stops and questioning by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). During an interview with a Navajo radio station KTNN, Navajo President Buu Nygren stated that the Tribe has been in contact with the Department of Homeland Security and ICE in order to resolve the issue, but that tribal members should prepare for stops by ICE officers by carrying their state ID and Certificate of Indian Blood.
Those who may be impacted by the termination of these offices or who are interested in learning more can monitor the news outlet Underscore Native News, as well as the newsletters of individual Tribes, whose coverage of Indigenous issues remain constant and up to date. On-campus resources such as the Native Student Union are also available for those who may need support networks or who are wishing to further educate themselves on current Indigenous affairs. The issues at hand are still rapidly changing, as in line with much in the Trump administration, and the extent to which local Tribes in Oregon will be impacted by the DOGE’s cuts remains to be seen.
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