US judge to temporarily block Trump from taking some steps to dismantle USAid

WASHINGTON – A US judge on Feb 7 said he would enter a “limited” order temporarily blocking the Trump administration from taking some steps to dismantle the US Agency for International Development (USAid), adding that 2,200 employees from the agency would not immediately be placed on administrative leave.

US District Judge Carl Nichols in Washington, who was nominated by President Donald Trump during his first term, announced the decision at a hearing on a lawsuit from the largest US government workers’ union and an association of foreign service workers, who sued to stop the administration from dismantling the agency.

Judge Nichols said the written ruling would be issued later on Feb 7.

The administration in a notice sent to the foreign aid agency’s workers on Feb 6 said it will keep 611 essential workers on board at USAid out of a worldwide workforce that totals more than 10,000.

“The major reduction in force, as well as the closure of offices, the forced relocation of these individuals were all done in excess of the executive’s authority in violation of the separation of powers,” Ms Karla Gilbride, a lawyer for the unions, said at the hearing.

A Justice Department official, Mr Brett Shumate, told Judge Nichols that about 2,200 USAid employees would be put on paid leave under the administration’s plans, adding that 500 had already been placed on leave.

“The President has decided there is corruption and fraud at USAid,” Mr Shumate said.

However, the judge said his order would prevent those 2,200 employees from being immediately placed on administrative leave and would also pause the relocation of certain humanitarian workers stationed outside the United States.

Hours after he was inaugurated on Jan 20, Mr Trump ordered all US foreign aid be paused to ensure it is aligned with his “America First” policy. Chaos has since consumed USAid, which distributes billions of dollars of humanitarian aid around the world.

The State Department issued worldwide stop-work directives after the executive order was issued, effectively freezing all foreign aid with the exception of emergency food assistance. That brought USAid programmes covering lifesaving aid across the globe to a grinding halt, in a move that experts warned risked killing people.

The gutting of the agency has largely been overseen by businessman Elon Musk, the world’s richest man and a close Trump ally spearheading the President’s effort to shrink the federal bureaucracy.

In the 2023 fiscal year, the United States disbursed, partly via USAid, US$72 billion (S$98.6 billion) of aid worldwide for everything from women’s health in conflict zones to access to clean water, HIV/Aids treatments, energy security and anti-corruption work.

It provided 42 per cent of all humanitarian aid tracked by the United Nations in 2024, yet that represents less than 1 per cent of the US’ federal budget. REUTERS