A U.S. federal judge has allowed the Trump administration to continue dismantling the U.S. Agency for International Development — with a court order Friday clearing the way for thousands of staffers to be placed on administrative leave, and more than 1,400 staff members to be pulled from their posts overseas.
The order lifts U.S. District Court Judge Carl Nichols’ previous block on the administration’s efforts to cut USAID’s staff, with his latest ruling stating that “the risk posed to USAID employees who are placed on administrative leave while stationed abroad — if there is any — is far more minimal than it initially appeared.”
The decision comes after a lawsuit was filed by two unions representing USAID staff — the American Foreign Service Association and the American Federation of Government Employees — earlier this month. By the time the suit was filed, the Trump administration had nearly hollowed out USAID entirely, stating that by Feb. 7, almost all staff members remaining at the agency would be placed on administrative leave until further notice.
About the author
Elissa Miolene
Elissa Miolene reports on USAID and the U.S. government at Devex. She previously covered education at The San Jose Mercury News, and has written for outlets like The Wall Street Journal, San Francisco Chronicle, Washingtonian magazine, among others. Before shifting to journalism, Elissa led communications for humanitarian agencies in the United States, East Africa, and South Asia.
