A federal judge in Washington, D.C., has dismissed two lawsuits that tried to block the Trump administration’s dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development. It’s another major legal victory for the White House, with Judge Carl Nichols ruling that the court lacked jurisdiction over the claims, which were brought by organizations representing USAID employees and contractors.
“Each of the employee organizations seeks relief from quintessentially personnel-related injuries that … must be redressed through various administrative review schemes that Congress has specified by statute,” Nichols — an appointee of President Donald Trump — wrote in an opinion published on Friday.
Before Trump returned to office, USAID — which was once the world’s largest foreign assistance donor — employed over 10,000 staff across the world. But within weeks of his arrival, most of those employees were severed from the agency, with contractors being terminated and direct hires being placed on administrative leave.
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.
