Alabama has lost $190 million to fight infectious diseases as a result of cuts by the Trump administration.

U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell, D-Birmingham, said 140 employees of the Alabama Department of Public Health could lose their jobs because of the funding cut, which was implemented “without warning.”

“What this means is investigations of outbreaks in prisons and nursing homes and daycare are gonna go without personnel to actually do those investigations,” said Sewell, who is calling on Alabama’s Republican congressional delegation to push back against the decision. “There’s currently an outbreak of measles that hasn’t come to the state of Alabama yet, but lack of workforce in county health departments means that so many communicable diseases may go undetected. It will affect the most vulnerable in our communities.”

In a post on X on Thursday, Sewell said the funding, which came from the Centers for Disease Control, was cut, effective immediately, as of Monday. According to Sewell, the cut “means we will lose personnel in county health departments all across the state of Alabama.”

According to ADPH, the grant was related to COVID-19. The department said they have been expecting funding reductions or cuts as the pandemic dies down.

“ADPH has already made a number of staffing and budget adjustments to accommodate changes in funding,” a spokesperson said in an email to AL.com. “In light of this information, ADPH will continue to review its plans and take measures to protect and promote the health and well being of the citizens of Alabama. This is the information that ADPH can provide, at the moment, related to these changes.”

The state agency did not comment further on the details provided by Sewell.

Sewell, who called the funding decision “unacceptable,” said it was the latest cut by Elon Musk, who leads the so-called Department of Government Efficiency.

“The state public health department is scrounging to find alternative funding and I really hope our senators are listening and are going to do something to push back against these horrible cuts,” Sewell said.