Officials and federal police turned away dozens of staff members from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) headquarters today, after a federal judge temporarily blocked an executive order by President Donald Trump’s administration aimed at reducing the agency’s global workforce to a fraction of its previous size.
The temporary order was issued on Friday following a lawsuit filed by two unions representing USAID employees against Trump and his close associates, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The lawsuit argued that the move was unconstitutional and illegal, as USAID was established by Congress, not the federal government. A hearing on the matter is scheduled for Wednesday.
As a result of the blocked order, thousands of USAID employees were supposed to be placed on paid leave on Friday, and those stationed abroad were instructed to return to the U.S. at the expense of the federal government within 30 days. The judge also ordered the Trump administration to restore staff access to their official emails, which has already been done for some employees, but no announcement was made regarding the reopening of the agency’s headquarters.
Many employees arrived at the headquarters only to be told by a receptionist that they could not enter, as only 10 people were allowed access. Another man, who previously introduced himself as a government official, was even stricter, telling employees, “Go away” and “What are you doing here?”
Three weeks ago, President Trump and billionaire Elon Musk, whom Trump appointed to head the government cost-cutting department known as DOGE, initiated a plan to dismantle USAID and its global projects.
Some employees said they arrived because they were confused by conflicting emails from the agency and were unsure about whether to report to work. Others expected to be turned away but came anyway. Some simply wanted to retrieve their belongings, which they were denied access to.
A recent email sent to USAID employees from the Administrator’s Office informed them that the agency’s former headquarters and other offices in Washington, D.C., would be closed until further notice. Employees were advised to work from home until further instructions are given.
Last week, members of the Department of Homeland Security and some civilians prevented USAID staff and Democratic party representatives from entering the agency’s headquarters.
