Flags outside the headquarters of the United States International Development Agency (USAID) were seen in Washington, D.C. on February 3, 2025.
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The Trump administration said on Sunday it will cancel 2,000 positions in the U.S. international development agency and put all other staff on leave worldwide.
This comes after a federal judge on Friday allowed the government to push for the evacuation of thousands of U.S. Agency for International Development staff from work in the United States and around the world. U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols rejected a request from an employee lawsuit to temporarily block the government’s plans.
“As of Sunday, February 23, 2025, all U.S.A.I.D. directly hired personnel (except designated personnel, core leaders and/or specially designated programs that are designated to be responsible for mission-related tasks functions, core leaders and/or specially designated programs In addition, globally, according to notices sent to U.S. Agency workers and viewed by the Associated Press.
Meanwhile, the agency said it is cutting its U.S.-based workforce by 2,000.
The move escalated a month-long government attack on the agency, which closed its headquarters in Washington and closed thousands of U.S. aid and development programs around the world after working to freeze foreign aid. President Donald Trump and his main cost world, Elon Muskbelieves that aid and development work is a waste and raises the liberal agenda.
The notices cite the concerns of workers resident overseas, who report that “United States Development is committed to ensuring the safety of its overseas personnel. Personnel will retain access to agency systems and diplomatic and other diplomatic agencies until they return home.”
The government said employees who are on leave overseas are expected to receive “voluntary agency-funded return trips” and other benefits.
Trump-nominated Nichols said he was “very concerned” about workers in high-risk areas overseas without access to emergency communications. But he said the government has since reassured him that workers can still use two-way radios, allowing 24-7 communications in emergencies and telephone apps with “panic buttons.”
The judge said the government’s statement convinced him: “The risk imposed on U.S. International Development employees (if any) is higher than the initial minimum limit.”
According to the AP, the notification of Shooting and Leaf received an unnamed termination form above hundreds of USAID contractors on weekends.
The workers noted that the general nature of the notice letter does not include accepting the contractor’s name or position, which may make it difficult for fired workers to obtain unemployment benefits.
In the second lawsuit, a different judge related to the demolition of USDA temporarily blocked the freezing of foreign aid and said last week that the government had held the aid, but had to be at least temporarily, despite his court orders. Plans to restore funds to the world.
