Federal judge halts Trump administration’s plan to remove thousands of USAID staffers

A federal judge on February 7 delivered a significant blow to President Donald Trump and his billionaire ally Elon Musk in their efforts to dismantle the US Agency for International Development (USAID), ordering a temporary halt to plans that would have removed 2,700 agency staffers from their positions.

US District Judge Carl Nichols, appointed by Trump, also blocked an order that would have required USAID's overseas workers to return to the US within 30 days at government expense, bringing their families and households with them, Caliber.Az reports, citing international media.

The judge ruled that both measures would have placed undue risk and financial burden on the workers and their families.

In his ruling, Nichols cited accounts from USAID employees abroad, noting that the administration’s rushed effort to close down the agency and its global operations had led to workers being cut off from essential communication systems. These systems, including government email, were crucial for employees to reach the US government in case of emergencies related to health or safety.

Media reports earlier indicated that USAID contractors, especially in the Middle East, had discovered that critical “panic button” apps had been wiped from their phones or disabled when they were furloughed.

“Administrative leave in Syria is not the same as administrative leave in Bethesda,” Nichols stated in his ruling on Friday night.

Nichols also blocked the 30-day deadline for staffers to return home, citing statements from employees who had no home to return to in the U.S. after spending years abroad. Some faced the challenge of pulling children with special needs out of school midyear, among other difficulties. Additionally, he ordered that employees who had already been placed on leave by the administration be reinstated.

However, the judge declined to grant a temporary block on the Trump administration’s freeze of USAID funding, which has effectively shut down the 60-year-old agency and its operations, pending further hearings on the lawsuit filed by workers’ associations.

Nichols emphasized during hearing that his decision was not a ruling on the workers' request to reverse the administration’s aggressive moves to dismantle the agency.

“CLOSE IT DOWN,” Trump had declared on social media regarding USAID just before the judge's ruling.

By Tamilla Hasanova