ISTANBUL

Twenty-one technology staffers resigned Tuesday in a coordinated "protest" against the US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), CNN reported, citing a government source.

The source claimed the resignations included top engineers, designers, data scientists and project managers who had been leading critical government projects.

These are "your most skilled people – pretty much handling the top priorities – they all just resigned," the source said, underscoring the potential harm to essential services.

The United States Digital Service (USDS), restructured into DOGE under recent reforms, has faced backlash following Elon Musk’s push for stricter performance measures.

Under the new policies, federal employees are required to submit weekly work reports or face termination, drawing criticism from agencies and staff.

The report said the resignations were coordinated, with the decision made collectively to leave on the same day, signaling significant internal resistance to the department's policies.

“It is people who don’t want to be a part of this. For this group … it is a protest. They don’t want to be a part of it,” added the source.