Federal Judge Carl Nichols has halted the Trump administration’s plans to place 2,200 employees of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) on administrative leave.
The court also ordered the reinstatement of 500 employees who had already been suspended. The decision was made in response to a lawsuit from labor unions, which argued that Trump’s actions could cause “irreparable harm” to employees. Nichols agreed with this argument and temporarily blocked the initiative for a week, during which further measures will be considered.
Trump and the head of the Department of Government Efficiency, Elon Musk, support the dissolution of USAID, claiming that the agency is “beyond repair.” However, Democrats and unions argue that the president cannot shut it down without congressional approval.
Trump and Republicans have proposed transferring a reduced number of aid programs to the State Department, but employees within the department fear significant job cuts.
