Trump administration cuts 2,000 USAID jobs and places staff on leave

• The Trump administration announced the elimination of 2,000 positions at USAID and placed nearly all other staffers worldwide on leave. This decision follows a federal judge’s ruling allowing the administration to continue removing thousands of USAID employees from their positions both in the United States and globally.
• President Donald Trump signed an executive order targeting USAID funding. USAID Inspector General Paul Martin was fired after releasing a report criticizing the cuts.
• The administration gave nearly all USAID staffers posted overseas 30 days to return to the U.S., with the government covering their travel and moving costs.

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The Trump administration announced Sunday, Feb. 23, that it is eliminating 2,000 positions at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), according to the Associated Press. In addition, nearly all other staffers worldwide have been placed on leave.

This decision follows a federal judge’s ruling on Friday, Feb. 21, allowing the administration to continue removing thousands of USAID employees from their positions both in the United States and globally. U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols dismissed a lawsuit from employees seeking to temporarily block the government’s plan.

“As of 11:59 p.m. EST on Sunday, February 23, 2025, all USAID direct hire personnel, except those responsible for mission-critical functions, core leadership, and specially designated programs, will be placed on administrative leave globally,” notices sent to USAID workers and viewed by The Associated Press read.

At the same time, the agency announced it is cutting its U.S.-based workforce by approximately 2,000 employees.

Recent developments

On Jan. 20, President Donald Trump signed an executive order targeting USAID funding. A few weeks later, USAID Inspector General Paul Martin was fired after releasing a report that criticized the cuts.  

The move intensifies a monthlong effort by the administration to dismantle the agency, which has already led to the closure of its Washington headquarters and the shutdown of numerous USAID and development programs worldwide.

The president, along with Elon Musk, argues that the aid and development work is wasteful and promotes a liberal agenda.

Friday’s ruling comes in response to a broad lawsuit filed by unions on behalf of agency staff, particularly those at risk of being stranded abroad. The suit claims the Trump administration has stalled necessary medical evacuations for USAID staffers and spouses overseas, cut off some contractors from emergency communications, and left staffers to flee political violence in Congo without support or funding.

The lawsuit also challenges the constitutionality of the administration’s dismantling of USAID, arguing that eliminating an agency requires congressional approval.

By the numbers

Two current USAID employees and one former senior USAID official, speaking anonymously to the AP, confirmed the administration’s plan. The plan would leave fewer than 300 staffers on the job, out of the current 8,000 direct hires and contractors. These remaining staffers, along with locally hired international staffers, would manage the few life-saving programs the administration intends to continue for now.

Last week, the administration gave nearly all USAID staffers posted overseas 30 days, starting Friday, to return to the U.S., with the government covering their travel and moving costs. Workers who choose to stay longer, unless granted a specific hardship waiver, may have to cover their own expenses, according to a notice on the USAID website late Thursday.