Probational federal employees who lost their jobs on Thursday as part of the Trump administration's mass firing of government workers expressed shock and anger at the terminations, which they contend will hurt the government's ability to provide services.

Federal workers were responding with anger and confusion Friday as they grappled with the Trump administration’s latest effort to shrink the size of the federal workforce by ordering agencies to lay off probationary employees who have yet to qualify for civil service protections.

Many of those impacted say they had already accepted the administration’s deferred resignation offer, under which they were supposed to be paid until Sept. 30 if they agreed to quit.