US court allows Trump administration to dissolve USAID
(VOVWORLD) - A US federal judge has allowed the Trump administration to continue dismantling the US Agency for International Development — with a court order on Friday clearing the way for thousands of staff to be placed on administrative leave, and more than 1,400 to be pulled from their posts overseas.
 Headquarters of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in Washington D.C. (Photo: Anadolu Agency/VNA) |
The order lifts US District Court Judge Carl Nichols’ previous block on the administration’s efforts to cut USAID’s staff, with his latest ruling stating that “the risk posed to USAID employees who are placed on administrative leave while stationed abroad — if there is any — is far more minimal than it initially appeared.”
The decision comes after a lawsuit was filed by two unions representing USAID staff — the American Foreign Service Association and the American Federation of Government Employees — earlier this month.
The Pentagon announced on Friday that it will reduce its civilian workforce by at least 5% next week as part of President Trump's initiative to streamline the federal government. With over 900,000 civilian employees in the Defense Department, the cuts will impact more than 45,000 positions.
Additionally, the Trump administration removed Caleb Vitello, the acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), citing dissatisfaction with the agency’s arrest and deportation rates. While ICE apprehensions increased during Trump's initial weeks in office, they have since declined, and arrests no longer consistently match deportation numbers.