Labor Department sidelines workers amid DOGE's advocacy for immigrant data
DOGE employees have made efforts to obtain information regarding the National Farmworker Jobs Program.
TroibNews 
Employees from the Labor Department who manage sensitive data regarding immigrant workers have been put on leave following encounters with members of DOGE, as reported by five sources familiar with the situation.
Among those placed on leave is Steven Rietzke, a nearly 20-year veteran of the agency, along with at least one other individual from the Labor Department’s Employment and Training Administration (ETA). Current and former employees chose to speak anonymously due to the sensitive nature of the information.
“This one really came out of the blue,” remarked one DOL employee.
This incident arises as DOGE seeks to repurpose the data and systems of federal agencies to support the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement initiatives. The Labor Department is crucial in the administration of certain employment-based visas, and ETA is primarily responsible for workforce development grants.
In March, Miles Collins, a DOGE staffer, attempted to access portions of ETA’s systems, including those tied to the National Farmworker Jobs Program, according to the sources. This program, with a budget of less than $100 million, provides job training and services to help workers achieve more stable employment in agriculture and other sectors. Eligibility is limited to individuals legally authorized to work in the U.S. and others who meet specific requirements.
Rietzke, who has been the division chief for ETA's National Programs, Tools and Technical Assistance since 2016, was among several career staff members who opposed the expansive data requests from DOGE.
“They pushed back on trying to get some things not included in the database that DOGE was building,” noted a current staffer.
Rietzke acknowledged his leave but did not provide additional comments. The Labor Department did not respond when asked for comment.
In addition to Rietzke, two lower-level staffers—one who worked directly on the farmworker jobs program and another within ETA’s Office of Workforce Investment—were also placed on leave, per information from two individuals.
It remains unclear how significant the opposition was to DOGE’s requests. While some asserted that the employees were put on leave due to these interactions, others characterized the meetings as routine until Rietzke and the two other staffers were unexpectedly sidelined.
“Steve controlled a lot of ETA funds,” stated another DOL employee.
Alongside Collins, Marko Elez from DOGE—who briefly departed the Trump administration following reports about his history of racist social media posts—has since been positioned at the department as an official employee, according to court documents.
WIRED first reported DOGE’s access to data under the farmworker jobs program. They also noted that a third individual, Aram Moghaddassi, is working at DOL alongside Elez and Collins.
An ETA staff member familiar with the farmworker jobs program expressed concern that DOGE's access could undermine the trust necessary for the agency to effectively monitor employers through the Monitor Advocate System.
“When you think about how hard it is to gain [migrant and seasonal farmworkers’] trust in providing all that sensitive info, it’s really devastating to see it being vulnerable to exploitation,” the individual said. “And if you try to do anything about it, you pretty much get put on admin leave.”
The staff member added that many of their colleagues at ETA feel disheartened and are considering accepting the Trump administration’s exit offer as a result.
Employees at ETA and other divisions of the Labor Department have until midnight Friday to participate in the Deferred Resignation Program or to accept an early retirement option. A significant number of employees from four smaller divisions within DOL have already chosen to opt in, citing fears of impending layoffs.
Olivia Brown for TROIB News
Among those placed on leave is Steven Rietzke, a nearly 20-year veteran of the agency, along with at least one other individual from the Labor Department’s Employment and Training Administration (ETA). Current and former employees chose to speak anonymously due to the sensitive nature of the information.
“This one really came out of the blue,” remarked one DOL employee.
This incident arises as DOGE seeks to repurpose the data and systems of federal agencies to support the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement initiatives. The Labor Department is crucial in the administration of certain employment-based visas, and ETA is primarily responsible for workforce development grants.
In March, Miles Collins, a DOGE staffer, attempted to access portions of ETA’s systems, including those tied to the National Farmworker Jobs Program, according to the sources. This program, with a budget of less than $100 million, provides job training and services to help workers achieve more stable employment in agriculture and other sectors. Eligibility is limited to individuals legally authorized to work in the U.S. and others who meet specific requirements.
Rietzke, who has been the division chief for ETA's National Programs, Tools and Technical Assistance since 2016, was among several career staff members who opposed the expansive data requests from DOGE.
“They pushed back on trying to get some things not included in the database that DOGE was building,” noted a current staffer.
Rietzke acknowledged his leave but did not provide additional comments. The Labor Department did not respond when asked for comment.
In addition to Rietzke, two lower-level staffers—one who worked directly on the farmworker jobs program and another within ETA’s Office of Workforce Investment—were also placed on leave, per information from two individuals.
It remains unclear how significant the opposition was to DOGE’s requests. While some asserted that the employees were put on leave due to these interactions, others characterized the meetings as routine until Rietzke and the two other staffers were unexpectedly sidelined.
“Steve controlled a lot of ETA funds,” stated another DOL employee.
Alongside Collins, Marko Elez from DOGE—who briefly departed the Trump administration following reports about his history of racist social media posts—has since been positioned at the department as an official employee, according to court documents.
WIRED first reported DOGE’s access to data under the farmworker jobs program. They also noted that a third individual, Aram Moghaddassi, is working at DOL alongside Elez and Collins.
An ETA staff member familiar with the farmworker jobs program expressed concern that DOGE's access could undermine the trust necessary for the agency to effectively monitor employers through the Monitor Advocate System.
“When you think about how hard it is to gain [migrant and seasonal farmworkers’] trust in providing all that sensitive info, it’s really devastating to see it being vulnerable to exploitation,” the individual said. “And if you try to do anything about it, you pretty much get put on admin leave.”
The staff member added that many of their colleagues at ETA feel disheartened and are considering accepting the Trump administration’s exit offer as a result.
Employees at ETA and other divisions of the Labor Department have until midnight Friday to participate in the Deferred Resignation Program or to accept an early retirement option. A significant number of employees from four smaller divisions within DOL have already chosen to opt in, citing fears of impending layoffs.
Olivia Brown for TROIB News
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