The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has reportedly offered buyouts to its entire workforce, marking an unprecedented effort to overhaul the agency. The move, first reported by The Wall Street Journal, is seen as part of an effort to realign the CIA with President Donald Trump’s national security priorities. Employees were offered eight months of pay and benefits in exchange for resigning, while hiring for new recruits has been frozen, according to reports.

CIA Director John Ratcliffe, who was confirmed last month, is spearheading the initiative. A CIA spokesperson said Ratcliffe is working “swiftly to ensure the CIA workforce is responsive to the Administration’s national security priorities,” adding that the restructuring is designed to “infuse the Agency with renewed energy” and position it to better fulfill its mission. Officials have suggested the buyouts would help remove individuals resistant to Trump’s policies while opening the door for new leadership.

Ratcliffe, a former congressman from Texas, previously served as Director of National Intelligence under Trump. During his confirmation hearing, he pledged to focus on collecting intelligence worldwide while ensuring the agency remains free from political bias. The restructuring efforts extend beyond just the CIA, as the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) recently announced that millions of federal workers had been given the option to resign with deferred compensation.

Meanwhile, concerns have grown over the CIA’s domestic surveillance activities. Despite its original mandate prohibiting domestic spying, reports have revealed that the agency has engaged in warrantless data collection targeting Americans. A government watchdog previously disclosed that the CIA had operated secret data collection programs, prompting Democratic Sens. Ron Wyden and Martin Heinrich to call for greater transparency. The senators warned that these programs, operating outside traditional oversight frameworks, likely include the collection of Americans’ personal records.

Adding to the controversy, the CIA has sought additional authority to conduct surveillance inside the United States. According to reports, the agency recently asked Congress to expand its ability to spy domestically, even as lawmakers from both parties have pushed to curb warrantless data collection. Critics argue that the CIA has routinely disregarded constitutional protections, gathering bulk data on Americans without judicial oversight.

The buyout initiative, coupled with the growing scrutiny of the CIA’s surveillance activities, suggests a push to clean house within an agency long accused of operating outside the law. With a freeze on new hires and the possibility of widespread resignations, the administration appears intent on reshaping the intelligence community to better align with its vision for national security. However, the extent of these changes — and their impact on the agency’s future direction — remains to be seen.