BEXAR COUNTY, Texas – A Bexar County veteran and mother of two continues to face financial hardship months after losing her federal government job.
Ashley Smith, a former training specialist with the federal government, has gone without a paycheck for three months after a "government-wide mass termination," or reduction-in-force (RIF), at her agency.
Smith’s situation reflects the broader impact of contested federal layoffs, which affect thousands of workers nationwide.
“It’s been quite challenging,” Smith said. “It makes me have to do a whole lot more just to make ends meet.”
Smith said she’s getting through, but is still entering her fourth month of uncertainty about what’s going to come next for her family financially.
“They said they were supposed to actually bring me back on administrative paid leave, but then, the day after that, they had to rescind,” Smith said.
The confusion arises amid an ongoing legal battle over the termination of employees.
U.S. District Judge William Alsup of the Northern District of California ruled that the U.S. Department of Commerce is required to inform Smith and others that their “earlier termination was not performance or fitness-based but was made as part of a government-wide mass termination.”
Although the letter did not directly address Smith, the U.S. Department of Commerce said it will appeal the court order and called the letter “legally and factually erroneous.” Whether the court upholds its decision or not, Smith is just trying to make ends meet.
“It’s kind of like before you can even feel OK, they took it away,” Smith said.
Smith said it has also been difficult to file and receive unemployment benefits because it’s unclear if she will ever be paid back for the last three months. A letter from the Texas Workforce Commission indicates that she is eligible for a maximum of $2,529 between Feb. 23, 2025, and Feb. 21, 2026.
Smith said it’s been “very tough” losing her main source of income.
“It makes me have to do a whole lot more just to make ends meet,” Smith said. “Even if I had to donate plasma or something, I just make sure I go make whatever money I can make.”
Whether Smith can take legal action against the federal government is unclear, but she said nothing is off the table.
“I don’t know, but if somebody knows, I hope they come and tell me or call me,” Smith said. “It would be nice if they could reach out and let me know what can happen.”