1. United States
2. Md.
3. Letter

I am writing to urge you to investigate the mass layoffs at The Washington Post on February 4, 2026, and take immediate action to ensure that owner Jeff Bezos brings home international employees who now face serious security risks and logistical crises. On February 4, hundreds of journalists were laid off, including dozens of international employees who were essential to the newspaper's global coverage. These layoffs gutted more than 80% of the international desk. The affected workers include correspondents and editors hired through subsidiaries outside the U.S., as well as local employees such as researchers, translators, office managers, and drivers working in locations ranging from Cairo to Mexico City. These international workers are not eligible for protection under the Washington Post Guild and are being laid off with less favorable terms than their U.S. counterparts. Among those terminated are reporters in war zones living without electricity, correspondents who relocated overseas just months ago, and indispensable local staff. They now face sudden loss of housing, visas, and benefits, with some confronting serious security risks in unstable regions. Washington Post reporters Michelle Lee and Rebecca Tan have organized a GoFundMe campaign that has raised $159,773 from 942 donors to help these workers cover rent, legal guidance, relocation to safer countries, and storage for belongings left behind. While this grassroots effort demonstrates the severity of the crisis, it should not substitute for corporate responsibility. Jeff Bezos, one of the world's wealthiest individuals, has the resources to ensure safe repatriation and adequate severance for these employees. I urge you to investigate whether these layoffs violated any labor protections or immigration laws, and to pressure Bezos to immediately provide safe passage home, extended visa support, and fair compensation for all affected international staff. These journalists risked their lives to hold authoritarian regimes accountable and expose international criminal syndicates. They deserve better than abandonment.