Washington: The Trump administration is facing legal action from U.S. government workers over its sweeping reductions at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). The American Federation of Government Employees and the American Foreign Service Association filed a lawsuit in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, seeking to halt what they describe as “unconstitutional and illegal actions” that have led to a “global humanitarian crisis.”
The lawsuit challenges the administration’s decision to freeze U.S. foreign aid, shut down USAID projects, and drastically reduce its workforce. It specifically names President Donald Trump, the State Department, and the Treasury Department as defendants.
A Rapid Dismantling of USAID
On January 20—the day of Trump’s inauguration—the administration paused all U.S. foreign aid, followed by orders from the State Department halting USAID operations worldwide. Agency employees were suddenly laid off, placed on leave, or found themselves locked out of agency computer systems.
The restructuring effort is led by billionaire Elon Musk, a key Trump ally overseeing a broader push to reduce the federal government’s workforce. On Monday, Musk posted on his social media platform X (formerly Twitter), boasting that he and his team had “spent the weekend feeding USAID into the wood chipper.”
Legal and Humanitarian Fallout
According to the lawsuit, the Trump administration lacked congressional approval to dismantle USAID, arguing that only Congress has the authority to restructure or eliminate federal agencies. The lawsuit states:
“Not a single one of defendants’ actions to dismantle USAID were taken pursuant to congressional authorization.”
The impact has been dire. USAID’s website now states that as of midnight on Friday, nearly all direct-hire personnel will be placed on administrative leave, leaving only a small number of employees responsible for mission-critical tasks.
Sources previously told Reuters that fewer than 300 employees will remain out of the agency’s original workforce of over 10,000.
The lawsuit claims the collapse of USAID has already had severe humanitarian consequences, including the suspension of programs fighting malaria, HIV, and maternal health issues. The filing alleges:
“Already, 300 babies that would not have had HIV, now do. Thousands of girls and women will die from pregnancy and childbirth.”
Additionally, global hunger relief efforts have been crippled, leaving 500,000 metric tons of food, worth $340 million, in limbo due to the aid freeze.
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Seeking Judicial Intervention
The plaintiffs are asking the court to issue both a temporary and a permanent injunction to:
- Restore USAID funding
- Reopen its offices
- Prevent further dissolution of the agency
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The Trump administration and the departments named in the lawsuit did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The case is expected to move quickly through the courts, as labor unions and aid organizations push for an urgent reversal of the cuts.
