To Gabe D’Alatri, America was the land of endless opportunity.
A first-generation immigrant, D’Alatri felt the call to serve this nation and joined the U.S. Marine Corps in 2015.
In 2018, he was medically discharged after an injury on base. D’Alatri then attended the University of Connecticut and graduated in 2022, hoping to become a physician’s assistant.
He was recruited by the federal government for a role at the IRS in Hartford and hired in February 2024.
On Feb. 20, only five days before his one-year probationary period ended, D’Alatri was fired despite his protected veteran status and above-satisfactory job performance.
He’s among an estimated 6,000 veterans across the country who have been fired as a result of federal worker layoffs ordered by the Trump administration.
“I have a wife and a child now and they’re relying on me,” said D’Alatri, 30, referring to his seven-month-old daughter who his wife takes care of in their Vernon home. He continues to search for a job.
The Trump administration’s shakeup of the federal government is sending shockwaves throughout Connecticut, from federal workers to nonprofits to elected officials. Recent job cuts from the newly-formed Department of Government Efficiency, alongside federal funding freezes, which have been challenged and struck down in federal courts, have left residents, community organizations and local government leaders uneasy about the future.
In southeastern Connecticut, New London Mayor Michael Passero says although the administration’s federal funding freezes and layoffs have yet to impact the city, he’s concerned about future cuts to federal grants provided to develop and maintain New London’s economy.
He expressed particular unease for New London Public Schools, which receive Title I funding to help students from low-income families. That’s as the U.S. Education Department, which administers Title I funds, plans to cut its workforce in half.
“With the chaos in Washington, nobody feels secure,” Passero said.
Submarines, a dominant fixture of New London’s and neighboring Groton’s economies, will remain safe from cuts. Spending on Virginia-class submarines will continue to be prioritized, despite a proposal from the Pentagon to reduce spending by $50 billion, or 8% of its overall budget over the next five years.
Farmers rely on funds
When it comes to the region’s farmland, funding freezes from the U.S. Department of Agriculture are affecting farmers relying on grants to remain operational.
Roughly $4.2 million of Environmental Quality Incentives Program funds, intended for rural small businesses and farmers, has not been distributed in Connecticut’s 2nd Congressional District, the most out of any district in the state, according to a February report from Democratic members of the House Committee on Appropriations.
Nearly $1.9 million of funding for rural energy for Connecticut farmers in the 2nd District has not been delivered either, according to the House report.
U.S. Representative Joe Courtney, who represents the 2nd District in eastern Connecticut, says many farmers who have contacted his office have yet to receive funds, significantly affecting their ability to operate efficiently.
“The farmers who applied for these programs were doing so relying on the fact that the government would keep its promise,” Courtney said. “You have farms that are not only not getting their money, but are in the red.”
'Our patients are incredibly nervous'
Nonprofits in eastern Connecticut are also feeling the effects.
The United Community & Family Services has five health services clinics throughout southeastern Connecticut and relies on $4 million in federal grants. Last month, the organization saw a seven-day delay in grant funds that help cover payroll.
Around 60 percent of its patients are on Medicare and any disruptions in funding or rapid policy changes threaten the organization’s operations, according to Jennifer Granger, the agency’s president and CEO.
“Our patients are incredibly nervous,” Granger said. “We feel like we’re fighting a battle and we’re fighting it on all fronts.”
The clinic serves a large sect of immigrant residents, as well as patients who identify as part of the LGBTQ community. Granger says both the organization and its patients are growing concerned about federal policies targeting these communities. Due to the UCFS’ reliance on federal funds, the organization must comply with the administration’s guidelines.
An executive order that called for pulling funding from organizations that provide gender-affirming care for transgender youth was blocked by a federal judge in February and extended in March.
Being pushed aside 'hurts'
As federal cutbacks continue to generate headlines, Americans are souring on the approach. A recent Quinnipiac University poll found that about 60 percent of respondents did not approve of how Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency are dealing with federal workers.
While D’Alatri says he supports every president elected, it’s been difficult seeing fellow Americans and the Trump administration cheerful about firing federal workers, 30% of whom are veterans.
“You see this hate for federal employees and I think it’s terrible,” D’Alatri said. “We shouldn’t be going after each other.”
D’Alatri plans to appeal his firing, but in the meantime seeks to secure employment to continue providing for his family. He feels that the nation he and other veterans swore to protect and serve doesn’t have their backs.
“My body will never be the same,” he said. “We served our country … and to be pushed to the side really hurts.”
