The Trump administration has placed most of the U.S. Agency for International Development's direct-hire staff on leave, significantly disrupting the agency's global operations. The move, part of a broader effort to consolidate USAID within the State Department, has sparked outrage and legal challenges from the agency's employees and their union.
The Trump administration is taking drastic measures to reshape the United States Agency for International Development ( USAID ), placing most of its direct-hire staffers around the world on leave, effectively upending the agency's decades-long mission overseas. This move, characterized as the most extreme of several proposals, comes amid a sweeping freeze on foreign assistance imposed by President Donald Trump. The administration has reportedly ordered a spending halt that has paralyzed U.S.
-funded aid and development work globally. Senior leadership and the workforce have been significantly impacted by furloughs and firings, with the agency's headquarters in Washington even closed to staff. The abrupt departure order, announced just days after rumors circulated, gives workers 30 days to return home. While other options, such as closing smaller USAID missions and partially shutting down larger ones, were considered, the administration ultimately opted for this widespread recall. The decision is likely to cost the government tens of millions of dollars in travel and relocation expenses. The administration's actions have sparked outrage and legal challenges. The American Foreign Service Association, the union representing U.S. diplomats, condemned the move and has pledged to take legal action to prevent or halt it. Local USAID staff, who lack the same legal protections as their foreign and civil service counterparts, were excluded from a voluntary buyout offer and face an uncertain future. The affected staffers, fearing the worst, have spent the past week packing belongings and making agonizing decisions, including whether to withdraw children from school midyear. Some families have even been forced to give away their pets, fearing they wouldn't have enough time to complete the necessary paperwork for bringing them back to the U.S. The announcement came as Secretary of State Marco Rubio was on a diplomatic tour of Central America, meeting with embassy and USAID staff in El Salvador and Guatemala. While journalists were denied access to these meetings, Rubio was allowed to meet with staff in Panama, where he expressed praise for their dedication. Meanwhile, Democratic lawmakers and others argue that USAID, established by legislation as an independent agency, cannot be shut down without congressional approval
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