The Trump administration continued with its bloodbath firing staff at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), cutting 2,000 workers and placing nearly all remaining employees on leave. It came after a federal judge’s ruling on Friday, which allowed the administration to proceed with firing thousands of domestic USAID workers across the world.
This came a just day after Tesla billionaire and DOGE advocate Elon Musk issued a warning to all federal employees, demanding they must reveal what they “got done last week” or step down. U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols rejected pleas from employees who had filed a lawsuit seeking to keep a temporary halt on the government’s plan.
Trump’s Purge Continues
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The agency also announced it was cutting around 2,000 positions from its U.S.-based workforce. “As of 11:59 p.m. EST on Sunday, February 23, 2025, all USAID direct hire personnel, with the exception of designated personnel responsible for mission-critical functions, core leadership and/or specially designated programs, will be placed on administrative leave globally,” according to the notices sent to USAID workers and viewed by The Associated Press.
The mass layoffs intensify a monthlong campaign by Trump and his close ally, Musk, targeting the agency. Their actions have led to the closure of its Washington headquarters and the shutdown of thousands of U.S. aid and development initiatives worldwide after an attempt to halt foreign assistance.
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Trump and Musk, known for their aggressive cost-cutting approach, argue that aid and development programs are wasteful and promote a liberal agenda.
Amid growing concerns for overseas staff who have reported losing access to government communications, official notices emphasize that “USAID is committed to keep its overseas personnel safe.”
“Until they return home, personnel will retain access to Agency systems and to diplomatic and other resources.”
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The administration said that overseas employees placed on leave are eligible for ” voluntary Agency-funded return travel” along with additional benefits.
Concerns Grow Over Employees’ Future
Nichols, a Trump appointee, expressed deep concern over employees in high-risk areas being left overseas without emergency communication access. However, he later said that the administration had assured him workers would still have access to two-way radios for round-the-clock emergency communication, as well as a mobile app featuring a “panic button.”
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Nichols said the government’s explanations convinced him “that the risk posed to USAID employees who are placed on administrative leave while stationed abroad – if there is any – is far more minimal than it initially appeared.’
Meanwhile, notices of terminations and leaves were issued alongside hundreds of USAID contractors receiving generic form letters over the weekend, according to copies reviewed by the Associated Press.
Workers pointed out that the blanket nature of the termination letters, which lacked names or specific positions, could make it harder for those affected to claim unemployment benefits.
Separately, a different judge handling another lawsuit related to USAID’s dismantling issued a temporary block on the freeze of foreign aid. Last week, he said that the administration had continued to withhold assistance despite his order and ruled that the funding must be at least temporarily restored to global programs.
