WASHINGTON, D.C. – A U.S. judge has temporarily halted the Trump administration’s sweeping efforts to gut the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), allowing roughly 2,700 furloughed employees to return to work—at least for now.
U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols, a Trump appointee, issued a partial injunction on Friday, preventing the administration from placing around 2,200 USAID workers on paid leave and reinstating 500 employees who had already been furloughed.
The ruling, in effect until February 14, also blocks the administration from relocating USAID humanitarian workers stationed abroad.
The ruling follows a lawsuit filed by the largest U.S. government workers’ union and an association of foreign service employees, who argued that the administration’s attempt to dismantle the agency exceeded executive authority and violated the separation of powers.
“The major reduction in force, as well as the closure of offices and forced relocation of these individuals, were all done in excess of the executive’s authority,” said Karla Gilbride, a lawyer representing the unions, during Friday’s court proceedings.
Judge Nichols agreed that the unions demonstrated a “strong showing of irreparable harm” if the administration’s plans proceeded unchecked.
However, he stopped short of granting all their requests, declining to order the reopening of USAID offices or the restoration of grant and contract funding.
The Trump administration has aggressively moved to curtail USAID’s operations, claiming—without presenting evidence—that the agency is rife with corruption.
In a Truth Social post on Friday, Trump described USAID as “CORRUPT BEYOND BELIEF. CLOSE IT DOWN!”
Since taking office on January 20, Trump has issued sweeping directives to freeze foreign aid, aligning with his “America First” policy.
The move has triggered widespread disruption, as USAID—which disbursed $72 billion in aid globally last year—plays a critical role in providing emergency assistance, public health funding, and anti-corruption efforts worldwide.
A Justice Department official, Brett Shumate, told the court that 611 “essential” USAID employees would remain on duty out of a workforce of more than 10,000.
The effort to dismantle USAID has been largely overseen by billionaire businessman Elon Musk, a close Trump ally tapped to spearhead the administration’s drive to shrink the federal government.
The abrupt rollback of foreign aid programs has sparked warnings from humanitarian experts that millions of vulnerable people could be at risk.
The State Department has already issued worldwide stop-work directives, effectively freezing most USAID-funded projects except for emergency food aid.
The United Nations reported that the U.S. accounted for 42% of all humanitarian aid in 2024—a figure that, despite its global impact, represents less than 1% of the federal budget.
