Some members of the federal bureaucracy have been highly resistant to the audit and reduction efforts of the Department of Government Efficiency, as led by tech billionaire Elon Musk under orders from President Donald Trump.

On Monday, DOGE staffers required assistance from local and federal police to finally gain access to the U.S. Institute of Peace in Washington D.C., following a defiant three-day standoff, USA Today reported.

The Institute, despite being created by Congress and funded by taxpayers, claims that it is an independent non-profit and non-governmental agency that is not part of the executive branch and therefore is not subject to the jurisdiction of DOGE or even President Trump.

Trump orders reduction of federal bureaucracy

On February 19, President Trump issued an executive order on "Commencing the Reduction of the Federal Bureaucracy" that was intended to "dramatically reduce" the size and scope of the bureaucracy to "minimize Government waste and abuse, reduce inflation, and promote American freedom and innovation."

The order specifically named four organizations, including the U.S. Institute of Peace, and called for the elimination of the "non-statutory components and functions" of such entities to the "maximum extent" possible, and ordered such entities to "reduce the performance of their statutory functions and associated personnel to the minimum presence and function required by law."

Trump's order further directed the "head of each unnecessary governmental entity listed" to submit within 14 days a report to the Office of Management and Budget that acknowledged the president's order and outlined how the entity would comply with it.

USIP responds to Trump's order, DOGE visits

Just a few days after that order was issued, USIP announced that it had met with DOGE staffers and "used the opportunity to underscore the Institute’s desire to work cooperatively with the Administration and DOGE," as well as to comply with President Trump's order, and further "provided DOGE staff with relevant information about USIP’s history, work and status as an independent, non-profit organization."

Then, exactly 14 days after Trump's order, USIP claimed that it had responded to the directive to submit a report to OMB and insisted that it "remains committed to cooperating fully with the Administration, ensuring the responsible use of taxpayer funds, aggressively pursuing its ongoing efforts to modernize and make all aspects of its operations more efficient."

However, the supposed commitment to cooperation with the administration apparently went no further than the above words, as a USIP press release on Saturday decried an "unannounced" visit from DOGE staffers on Friday and explained how they were "met at the door by the Institute’s outside counsel who informed them of USIP’s private and independent status as a non-executive branch agency. Following that discussion, the DOGE representatives departed."

DOGE returns, backed by FBI and DC police

According to USA Today, DOGE staffers returned to USIP on Monday and were again turned away by the Institute's attorneys, only this time DOGE enlisted the assistance of FBI agents and D.C. Metro Police to gain entry to the building.

The Daily Beast reported that the days-long standoff ended with fired board members and employees being escorted out of the building amid cries of protest from some of the ousted officials, including now-former acting board president George Moose, who claimed to reporters that DOGE unlawfully broke into the building.

Moose and others further insisted that, per its authorizing statute, USIP was independent from the executive branch and not subject to DOGE, as well as that President Trump lacked the authority to fire its board members -- Trump axed 12 of the 15 members -- except for specific cause.

Developing situation will likely end up in court

It seems a near certainty that the fired members of the USIP board will file a legal challenge against DOGE and President Trump's order, leaving the federal courts to eventually settle this dispute.

In the meantime, White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said in a statement, "Rogue bureaucrats will not be allowed to hold agencies hostage. The Trump administration will enforce the President’s executive authority and ensure his agencies remain accountable to the American people."