In the joint letter, obtained by the Associated Press, staffers from the USDS wrote, “We will not use our skills as technologists to compromise core government systems, jeopardize Americans’ sensitive data, or dismantle critical public services. We will not lend our expertise to carry out or legitimize DOGE’s actions.”

They also alluded to nameless DOGE bros wearing White House visitor badges infiltrating their office and grilling the nonpartisan staffers. The staffers told reporters these young men were rife with technological inefficiency, fandom for Musk, and ideological partisanship.

“Several of these interviewers refused to identify themselves, asked questions about political loyalty, attempted to pit colleagues against each other, and demonstrated limited technical ability,” the staffers wrote. “This process created significant security risks.”

This follows the layoffs of 40 USDS staffers earlier in February. After Musk's initial layoffs, 65 USDS employees remained—a third of whom just resigned.

USDS was established by former President Barack Obama in 2014, after his chaotic rollout of the federal health care website, Healthcare.gov, proved to be clunky and slow. Since then, the agency has made the site efficient, helping Americans sign up for health care. It has also worked to improve services for veterans, assisted the government in purchasing updated technology, and created a free tax portal.

Meanwhile, the White House is covering for Musk, claiming that he has nothing to do with the DOGE firings. When he isn’t sending micromanaging emails threatening federal workers to list five things they did that week or be fired, he’s brandishing bedazzled chainsaws at CPAC conference, shouting, “This is the chainsaw for bureaucracy.”

Since being sworn in, Trump has given Musk full reign to use DOGE to illegally access sensitive data on private citizens. He has also dismantled federal agencies like the United States Agency for International Development and laid off thousands of federal employees in the name of “efficiency.”

As federal employees have been the target in Trump’s first month in office, some, joined by congressional Democrats, stood outside in Washington’s wintery streets to protest outside their agencies. Others, like USDS staffers, are taking other means of protest by bowing out of an administration they see as unable to do right by the American people.

“We swore to serve the American people and uphold our oath to the Constitution across presidential administrations,” the USDS employees wrote. “However, it has become clear that we can no longer honor those commitments.”