Washington: The US Education Department has recalled dozens of staff members from administrative leave to help clear a mounting backlog of civil rights complaints, even as the Trump administration continues efforts to downsize the agency.

The workers, from the department's Office for Civil Rights (OCR), had earlier been targeted for layoffs that are currently tied up in legal proceedings. In a letter issued on Friday, officials directed them to return to duty from December 15 to prioritise pending discrimination cases.

A department spokesperson said the government still intends to proceed with workforce reductions but will utilise all available employees in the interim. The OCR enforces federal laws banning discrimination based on disability, sex, race and religion in schools and colleges.

More than 200 OCR staff members were originally slated for layoffs. The department's total workforce has shrunk from about 4,100 when President Donald Trump took office to nearly half that number.

The OCR backlog has risen from about 20,000 cases earlier this year to over 25,000 amid staff shortages, according to department data.