The Trump administration continues to dismantle the U.S. Agency for International Development, putting most staff on leave and firing at least 1,600 U.S.-based employees on Monday, as Fox News reported.

President Donald Trump and his cost-cutting buddy Elon Musk have taken a significant step toward reducing the size of the federal government by eliminating the aid and development agency, which has been in place for over six decades.

On Friday, a federal judge approved the administration's plan to lay off thousands of USAID staff worldwide. In a lawsuit, U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols denied employee requests to temporarily halt the government's plan.

The Announcement

“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,” the administration said, according to the notices sent to USAID workers reviewed by some in the media.

Concurrently, the agency announced in the notices to employees that a reduction in force would be initiated, leading to the termination of 2,000 positions in the United States.

Earlier on USAID's website, there was an announcement that stated 1,600 employment will be removed.

Notice Response

Individual employees began reporting that they had received notices of their impending dismissal under the reduction in force within hours of receiving the notice.

Deputy administrator Pete Marocco, the Trump appointee who oversees USAID, has stated that he plans on keeping approximately 600 staff members, the majority of whom are based in the United States, for the time being.

This is in part to facilitate travel for USAID staff and their families.

The action intensifies a month-long campaign to dismantle the agency, which has involved the closure of its headquarters in Washington and the cessation of thousands of aid and development programs worldwide in response to a moratorium on all foreign assistance.

Legal Troubles

Government workers' unions, USAID contractors, and other parties have filed lawsuits alleging that the administration lacks the constitutional authority to terminate an independent agency or congressionally funded programs without the consent of legislators.

The Trump administration's initiatives contradict decades of U.S. policy that argues that aid and development work abroad are beneficial to national security by stabilizing economies and regions and fostering alliances.

The notices of firings and departures are in addition to the fact that hundreds of USAID contractors have received no-name form letters of termination in the past week.

The notification letters to USAID contractors, which are generic and do not specify the names or positions of the recipients, may present a challenge for the dismissed workers to obtain unemployment benefits, according to the workers.