Federal employees threaten to quit over planned Army Corps move from NYC to New Jersey

A rare bipartisan coalition of New York political leaders has united in opposition to the Trump administration's plan to relocate federal workers from New York City to New Jersey.

The International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE) Local 98, which represents employees of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' New York District and North Atlantic Division, held a rally Thursday outside 26 Federal Plaza in Manhattan. The protest targeted the proposed relocation of their offices across the Hudson River.

Bipartisan Opposition

Democratic congressional nominee Brad Lander and Republican Rep. Mike Lawler, along with the majority of New York's downstate congressional delegation, have voiced opposition to the move. New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin and Lander attended the rally in person, while Mayor Zohran Mamdani issued a statement of support urging the federal government to retain the employees in New York.

Both the Democratic and Republican New York congressional delegations have sent letters to the Trump administration requesting reconsideration of the plan.

Employee Concerns

According to union representatives, employees were not consulted about the decision. The plan would relocate approximately 465 employees from the Manhattan New York District office and the Brooklyn North Atlantic Division office to a new headquarters—likely in Newark, Hoboken, or Jersey City—in what officials describe as a cost-reduction effort.

Critics argue the move is unfair and warn it could significantly deplete the workforce. A union survey found that 45% of New York-based employees said they would leave their positions if the office relocated to New Jersey. Union members also claimed the move would disproportionately affect women employees.

"We know that this issue disproportionately is affecting women when you talk about the additional costs that the workers would have to face," Menin said Thursday. "We're talking about childcare costs. We're talking about extra transit costs. We have a situation where both Democrats and Republicans in Congress are opposed to this move."

Lease Status

Daniel Kim, president of IFPTE Local 98, confirmed that no lease has been signed for the new headquarters. An initial planned move for management into the new office is scheduled for Aug. 15, but the lease must be signed by July 31 to meet a 14-day requirement under the Congressional Review Act.

In a statement to City & State, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers spokesperson Hector Mosley confirmed that no lease has been signed yet.

"The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has an ongoing responsibility to review its facilities and operational footprint to ensure the effective stewardship of taxpayer money," Mosley said. He added that the agency is "committed to ensuring there will be no impact on mission execution."

Political Criticism

Brad Lander blamed President Donald Trump, alleging the move is intended not to save money but to weaken the Army Corps of Engineers.

"Their thought is that if they move it across the river, many people won't stay in their jobs because they can't manage a life of longer commuting, and they think some people will leave the agency," Lander said. "Since they started with (the Department of Governmental Efficiency) they have been looking for a weaker, smaller federal government where they try to bust the labor unions, where they try to weaken the capacity of the essential services that Americans rely on, and we've seen that in agency after agency."

A White House spokesperson referred City & State back to the Army Corps of Engineers when asked about Lander's comments.