A federal judge ordered the Trump administration on Friday to stop some elements of its attempt to shut down U.S. international development agencies.
U.S. District Court Judge Carl Nichols, a Columbia-appointed by Trump, issued a restraining order suspending the imminent administrative leave of 2,200 USAID employees and plans to withdraw the situation within 30 days All overseas workers in the institution. He also ordered the temporary resumption of 500 agent employees who were already on administrative leave.
The judge is in the lawsuit filed on behalf of a union representing federal workers and diplomats. Judge Nichols said the union has determined that employees affected by leave and withdrawal orders will suffer “irreparable harm.”
Judge Nichols ordered a moratorium in the government’s plan next Friday to allow for a “temperature” argument to determine the legitimacy of the action and schedule another hearing on Wednesday.
His order is the latest court lawsuit to lower or limit Trump’s presidential agenda after Mr. Trump’s ruling to freeze federal spending and overturn birthright citizenship has been blocked. The cases are part of a legal battle against Mr. Trump’s efforts to expand the president’s authority in a way that Democrats and many legal experts call unconstitutional.
Democrats also fear that Trump’s sudden turn to USAID (inculcating a sense of chaos and panic within institutions) could be a test case that dramatically cuts or shuts down other federal departments and agencies.
The union has asked the court to prevent Mr. Trump from demolishing aid agencies, calling it “unconstitutional and illegal” and said it “created a global humanitarian crisis” and threatened the strategic interests of the United States.
They also noted that thousands of U.S. Agency workers have caused losses, which have been caused by unconfirmed corruption allegations and even crimes caused by Mr. Trump and his allies.
The allegations shocked and confused by the agency’s agency that allocates billions of dollars in taxpayer dollars each year on humanitarian, medical, development and pro-democracy aid, mainly in urgent need of the state, which supporters believe the United States The work of some of the most noble people in the government.
“They are confused and fearful,” the lawsuit said, adding that some workers made “significant choices like geographic location and family planning” on assumptions that the federal government complies with the law.
“Under Congress’ authorization, no one defendant has done so to remove the agency,” the lawsuit said. “Under federal regulations, Congress is the only entity that can legally remove the agency.”
The lawsuit was filed by the Democratic Forward and Public Citizen Litigation Team on behalf of the American Diplomatic Services Association and the United States Government Employees Federation. It points to the central role Elon Musk plays in the institution’s filth. Mr. Musk, a Trump ally and donor, recently boasted online that “feed the U.S. International Development into a wood chipper.”
The U.S. Government Employees Federation said in a statement that the ruling was “satisfied”, adding: “We continue to believe that the program violates the law and we will continue to actively defend our membership rights.”
Current and former U.S. Agency for International Development officials expressed excitement about the ruling, even if it meant that the agency’s workers remained confused and uncertain about their fate until Judge Nichols finally issued a more certain ruling.
A former senior official also noted that the suspension had no effect on Trump’s January 20 executive order, which frozen almost all U.S. foreign aid spending, which prevented much of the agency’s work. (The government has issued an exemption authorizing that some specific programs are considered vital or life-saving.)
Democrats in Congress quickly cheered on their limited victory, with some focusing on the role of the unelected billionaire Mr. Musk.
Virginia Democratic Representative Donald S. Beyer Jr. “The court should uphold the law and will cease it comprehensively and permanently to illegal, unconstitutional, immoral and corrupt USDA”
In the past few days, Trump’s appointment as Chief Executive of the U.S. Agency for International Development on Monday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, has made the administration’s case saying the work of aid agencies needs to be “re-re-enough with the U.S. national interests” Adjustment”. Mr Rubio argued that the United States Agency for International Development had resisted the direction of supervision by the State Department and Congress.
Mr Rubio also asserted that no evidence was provided, and some institutional workers violated Mr Trump’s order to freeze all foreign aid. Mr Rubio also accused U.S. Agency for International Development’s official Musk of scrutinizing his work, forcing the government to act “faster” on the agency.
Defenders of the agency said Trump officials picked a small amount of fees and seriously distorted their meaning, thus deeply suspicious of foreign aid – “the most unpopular thing about the government is the government spending money,” he said. As Mr. Rubio said Wednesday.
They believe that the Swift Agency shutdown will not only have direct costs in life, but ending its plan will also benefit U.S. competitors such as Russia and China from global competition. They said it would be a gift to Viktor Orban of Hungary, who had long spent on the agency on civil society and other pro-democracy programs. Some of these authoritarian leaders, including Mr. Alban, are allies to Mr. Trump.
The plaintiff’s chief attorney was Karla Gilbride, who was fired last month as general counsel for the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Ms. Gilbride, who was blind, was taken to her seat by a plaintiff’s lawyer.
The Justice Department did not submit a briefing on the case, and lasted about 90 minutes at Friday’s hearing, with Justice Nichols repeatedly pointing out that the Trump administration did not provide much information.
Justice Department lawyers argued at the hearing that even if the government tried to place thousands of workers on administrative leave, the case was ultimately a collection of individual personnel actions that Congress had no authority.
“It’s a lot of people to be sure,” said Brett Shumate, acting assistant attorney general of the Justice Department’s civil division, during a debate on Friday. “But it’s still a personnel action.”
After taking office last month, Mr. Trump attacked U.S. foreign aid almost immediately. On his Truth Social Account Friday, he wrote that the United States Agency for International Development should close.
Before Mr. Trump targeted the agency (independent but under the guidance of the State Department), U.S. International Development hired about 10,000 workers and contractors. By Friday, that number will be narrowed to hundreds of people the agency’s new leaders at the State Department still sees as crucial.
Judge Nichols asked why the Trump administration acted so quickly against U.S. Agency workers, and Justice Department lawyers said the administration was trying to take root in “corruption and fraud.” Judge Nichols said the Trump administration has not yet used its order to leave workers.
