A U.S. federal judge has blocked former President Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s push to shut down the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). The ruling came after legal challenges, stopping their efforts to dismantle the agency.
Judge Theodore Chuang issued a temporary order halting the termination of USAID employees. However, he did not require the reinstatement of those already placed on leave. This decision follows several lawsuits filed by USAID workers who argued that Musk’s actions, as part of his Department for Government Efficiency (DOGE), were illegal and violated constitutional rights.
USAID employees claim that Musk’s plan to dismantle government agencies was reckless and not authorized, as Musk had not been formally nominated or confirmed by the Senate for his role. These employees are trying to prevent further cuts and actions by DOGE at USAID.
The future of USAID is now uncertain. After Trump returned to office, he announced layoffs at the agency and recalled workers from international assignments. Trump has long criticized USAID’s spending, calling for it to be shut down, with Musk supporting this idea, labeling the agency as a “criminal organization.” However, neither Trump nor Musk has provided concrete evidence to back up their claims, and any attempt to close USAID will likely face more legal hurdles.
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