A U.S. federal judge has temporarily blocked key parts of the Trump administration’s plan to dismantle the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), granting relief to thousands of agency employees.
U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols, a Trump appointee, issued the ruling on Friday, allowing 2,700 USAID employees to return to work while halting the administration’s effort to place 2,200 workers on paid leave and furlough 500 others.
The order, effective until February 14, also prevents the forced relocation of USAID humanitarian staff abroad but does not restore funding for grants, contracts, or reopen USAID offices.
The ruling comes as the largest federal workers’ union and an association of foreign service officers challenge Trump’s aggressive push to downsize the agency.
During a court hearing on Friday, Karla Gilbride, a lawyer for the unions, argued that the administration’s actions exceeded executive authority and violated the separation of powers.
However, Justice Department official Brett Shumate defended the move, claiming the furloughs were justified by Trump’s belief that USAID was plagued by corruption and fraud.
Trump reaffirmed this stance on Truth Social, stating:
“Corruption at USAID is AT LEVELS RARELY SEEN BEFORE. CLOSE IT DOWN!”
Elon Musk’s Role in Shrinking Federal Bureaucracy
The push to gut USAID has been spearheaded by billionaire Elon Musk, a close Trump ally who has played a leading role in shrinking the federal workforce.
Since returning to office on January 20, Trump has aggressively pursued his “America First” policy, freezing billions in U.S. foreign aid through an executive order. The State Department subsequently issued stop-work directives, leaving critical aid programs in limbo.
Experts warn that Trump’s funding freeze could have severe humanitarian consequences.
In 2023, USAID distributed $72 billion in global aid, supporting initiatives such as:
- Women’s health programs
- Clean water access
- HIV/AIDS treatment
- Anti-corruption efforts
The United States accounted for 42% of all humanitarian aid tracked by the United Nations in 2024.
With Trump’s executive order halting aid disbursement, global relief efforts are now at serious risk, prompting growing concerns over worsening humanitarian crises worldwide.
