A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration’s plan to place 2,200 employees of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) on administrative leave.
In a late Friday ruling, U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols—a Trump appointee—issued a temporary restraining order preventing the administration and the Department of Government Efficiency from proceeding with the planned workforce reduction. Nichols also ordered the reinstatement of 500 USAID employees who had already been placed on leave and barred any evacuations of USAID personnel from their host countries before Feb. 14 at 11:59 p.m.
The ruling came hours after a Friday afternoon hearing, during which Nichols stated he would issue the restraining order.
The legal challenge, brought by two foreign service unions, opposes the administration’s efforts to downsize USAID’s workforce from 14,000 to 300 employees as part of broader government spending cuts.
Earlier in the hearing, Nichols emphasized the potential harm to employees, saying, “This is about how employees are harmed in their capacity as employees—within the employee/employer relationship—and the plaintiffs have established at least that there is irreparable harm as it relates to that relationship.”
Justice Department attorneys confirmed that 500 employees had already been placed on leave, with 2,000 more set to follow at midnight. Acting Assistant Attorney Brett Shumate defended the administration’s actions, arguing that the president had determined USAID was plagued by fraud and corruption.
“He doesn’t have to justify to the plaintiffs and the court how he exercises his foreign affairs,” Shumate said. “The president has determined, in his view, that significant action is needed tonight to prevent taxpayer funds from being misused abroad.”
The American Foreign Service Association and the American Federation of Government Employees filed the lawsuit in D.C. federal court on Thursday, accusing Trump of “unconstitutional and illegal actions” aimed at dismantling USAID.
The lawsuit outlined the personal and humanitarian consequences of the cuts, arguing that children were being pulled from school mid-year, employees were losing healthcare access without time to find alternatives, and many were being forced back to the U.S. without housing or financial stability.
“These actions have triggered a global humanitarian crisis, halted crucial USAID operations, cost thousands of American jobs, and jeopardized U.S. national security interests,” the lawsuit stated.
The plaintiffs contend that Trump acted without congressional authorization, which they argue is required to reduce or dismantle USAID.
The legal filing traces Trump’s efforts to weaken the agency, starting with an executive order freezing foreign aid on his first day in office. The lawsuit alleges that subsequent steps—such as stopping work orders, mass layoffs, and blocking access to USAID systems—were taken without proper congressional approval.
The Department of Government Efficiency and Elon Musk, who reportedly boasted about “feeding USAID into the woodchipper,” are also accused of improperly locking employees out of classified systems as part of the agency’s systematic dismantling.
The plaintiffs are seeking a court order declaring the administration’s actions unlawful and requiring Trump to halt further efforts to shut down USAID without congressional approval.
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