The Trump administration announced on Sunday that over 1,600 employees at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) are being dismissed, while several agency staff members stationed abroad have been placed on paid administrative leave.
“I regret to inform you that you are affected by a Reduction in Force action,” stated an email sent to one of the affected workers, as reviewed by Reuters. The message confirmed that those impacted would officially be removed from federal service on April 24. Only USAID’s core leadership and essential personnel remain on duty.
“As of 11:59 p.m. EST on Sunday, February 23, 2025, all USAID direct hire personnel—except for those designated as responsible for mission-critical functions, key leadership, or specially assigned programs—will be placed on administrative leave globally,” according to notices sent to USAID employees and obtained by The Associated Press.
Musk vs. USAID
This decision marks one of the most significant moves in President Donald Trump’s broader effort—supported by cost-cutting advocate Elon Musk—to drastically scale back the six-decade-old aid and development agency as part of an overarching plan to reduce the federal government’s size.
USAID serves as the primary channel for U.S. foreign aid and is a key component of America’s “soft power” strategy for global influence.
Shortly after taking office on January 20, Trump imposed a 90-day freeze on foreign aid, halting funding for programs addressing hunger, deadly diseases, and humanitarian relief for displaced populations worldwide.
While the administration has granted exemptions amounting to $5.3 billion—primarily for security and counter-narcotics initiatives—USAID programs received less than $100 million in exemptions, a stark contrast to the approximately $40 billion it managed annually before the freeze.
The decision to terminate 1,600 USAID employees follows a federal court ruling on Friday that allowed the administration to proceed with its plan to reduce USAID staffing both domestically and internationally. U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols rejected a lawsuit from employees seeking to temporarily block the government’s directive.
