US President Donald Trump’s administration announced on Sunday the elimination of 2,000 positions at the US agency for international development (USAID) and placed most remaining employees on administrative leave globally. The move follows a federal court ruling that allowed the administration to proceed with pulling thousands of USAID staffers from their jobs both in the United States and abroad.
US district judge Carl Nichols rejected pleas to extend a temporary stay on the government’s plan in a lawsuit filed by USAID employees, effectively greenlighting the administration’s decision. The official notices, reviewed by The Associated Press, instructed staff that as of 11:59 pm EST on Sunday, all direct hire personnel, except for those handling mission-critical functions, core leadership roles, or specially designated programs, would be placed on administrative leave.
This latest action is part of a broader effort by the administration to scale back USAID operations, a campaign that has already led to the closure of its headquarters in Washington and the shutdown of thousands of aid and development initiatives worldwide.
President Donald Trump and his cost-cutting chief, Elon Musk, have repeatedly criticised foreign aid programs, claiming they are wasteful and aligned with a liberal agenda.
In addition to the job cuts and administrative leave orders, hundreds of USAID contractors reportedly received anonymous form letters of termination over the weekend. According to copies of the letters obtained by AP, the lack of specific names or job details could complicate efforts for affected workers to claim unemployment benefits.
While the administration moves ahead with its restructuring of USAID, a separate federal lawsuit challenging the freeze on foreign assistance has seen a different judge issue a temporary order blocking the withholding of funds. The court ruled last week that the administration must restore at least some of the aid funding to global programs.
The Trump administration’s aggressive overhaul of USAID has drawn sharp criticism from international aid organisations and lawmakers, who warn that the abrupt withdrawal of funding and personnel could have devastating effects on global humanitarian efforts.