Reuters: Trump administration to eliminate all USAID jobs by end of September

The Trump administration has informed Congress of its decision to eliminate nearly all remaining jobs at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and shut down the agency, even as the president pledged aid to Myanmar following a devastating earthquake.

The move, which has alarmed humanitarian aid experts, marks a dramatic shift in U.S. foreign assistance policy. USAID, a cornerstone of Washington’s global influence for over 60 years, has been instrumental in coordinating disaster relief efforts, including earthquake response operations.

According to an internal memo reviewed by Reuters, thousands of USAID employees and Foreign Service officers learned that all positions not mandated by law would be eliminated between July and September. The memo, sent by Acting Deputy Administrator Jeremy Lewin, confirmed that USAID missions worldwide would be closed, with remaining functions absorbed by the State Department. Lewin is a member of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a cost-cutting task force led by billionaire Elon Musk.

The State Department formally notified Congress of the restructuring plan, prompting sharp criticism from lawmakers. Representative Gregory Meeks, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, called the closure illegal and an attempt to withdraw the U.S. “from its global leadership role with as much cruelty and disruption as possible.”

A U.S. appeals court ruled on March 28 that Musk and DOGE could proceed with the cuts while appealing a lower court ruling that had sought to block them.

The total number of job losses remains unclear. As of March 21, there were 869 USAID direct-hire personnel actively working, while 3,848 were on paid administrative leave, according to the advocacy group Stand Up for Aid. Sources familiar with the situation indicated that thousands of Foreign Service officers assigned to USAID would also be affected.

Lewin’s memo stated that termination notices would be emailed to staff in the coming days, giving them the option of being dismissed on either July 1 or September 2. Over the next three months, the State Department is set to take over USAID’s remaining humanitarian and strategic aid programs. However, Lewin emphasized that USAID employees would not automatically transfer to the State Department and would instead need to apply through a separate hiring process.

By Vugar Khalilov