A federal judge has ruled in favor of the U.S. Institute of Peace, declaring that President Donald Trump’s efforts to dissolve the organization violated constitutional law and represented a “gross usurpation of power.”
The decision follows months of legal back-and-forth around the U.S. Institute of Peace, an independent nonprofit organization established by Congress in 1984. For decades, the institute conducted research, training, and peacebuilding activities across the world. But earlier this year, the Trump administration removed the majority of USIP’s board, replaced its leadership, and seized its headquarters.
The institute filed a lawsuit that challenged Trump’s authority to do so — and on Tuesday, District Judge Beryl Howell issued an opinion stating that those actions were unlawful.
About the authors
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.
Adva Saldinger@AdvaSal
Adva Saldinger is a Senior Reporter at Devex where she covers development finance, as well as U.S. foreign aid policy. Adva explores the role the private sector and private capital play in development and authors the weekly Devex Invested newsletter bringing the latest news on the role of business and finance in addressing global challenges. A journalist with more than 10 years of experience, she has worked at several newspapers in the U.S. and lived in both Ghana and South Africa.
