USAID: Federal Workers Sue Trump, State Why Agency Shouldn’t Be Shut Down

The New Diplomat
Writer

Ad

Drama as Benue Crisis Soars, Ex-Speaker, Dajoh, axed amid Resignation

By Abiola Olawale The Benue State House of Assembly has been thrust into soaring political crisis again following a dramatic turn of events that saw the suspension of its former Speaker, Aondona Dajoh, just days after his unexpected resignation. The political drama escalated on Tuesday, August 26, when the Assembly, now led by newly elected…

BREAKING: Large decrease in arrivals of temporary residents in Canada

In 2025, new student arrivals have declined by 70%, and new worker arrivals have declined by 50%, according to new data published by Canada's immigration department. In the period between January and June of 2025, Canada welcomed 88,617 fewer international students and 125,903 fewer foreign workers, compared to the same period in 2024. This cumulatively…

Cross River hosts about 35trn untapped cubic feet of gas, says Pana Holdings boss Akobo

By Obinna Uballa Cross River State holds vast untapped natural resources, including an estimated 35 trillion cubic feet (TCF) of gas and extensive solid mineral deposits, the Group Chief Executive Officer of Pana Holdings, Dr. Daere Akobo, has disclosed. Akobo made the revelation during the signing of a strategic partnership agreement between the Cross River…

Ad

By Kolawole Ojebisi

President Donald Trump may be in for a rude awakening if he’d thought the casualties of his policy of shutting down United States Agency for International Development (USAID) will accept the move without a fight.

This is as Federal workers associations in the US have asked a federal high court in Washington to stop the Donald Trump administration from shutting down the agency.

The lawsuit was filed by the American Foreign Service Association (AFSA) and the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE).

The workers hinged their suit on the argument that USAID is a creation of congress which cannot be dismantled by the executive branch of government.

USAID is the world’s foremost development agency responsible for billions of dollars in US aid projects across the globe. Its scope of operations include healthcare, disaster relief, nutrition, and sex education.

However, Trump and his ally, Elon Musk, who is the Tesla CEO and head of the administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), seem to have targeted USAID as part of a wide ranging move to shrink the federal workforce and save taxpayer funds.

Recall that on February 5, USAID announced that it was placing all directly-hired staff globally on administrative leave after DOGE staffers forcefully gained access to its headquarters and database.

The agency also said personnel posted overseas would be recalled within 30 days.
Meanwhile, on Thursday, the Trump administration presented a plan to dismantle USAID — which would see the agency reduced to 300 staff from 10,000.

In their suit, the workers are asking the court to compel the Trump administration to reopen USAID buildings, return employees to work and restore funding.

They said government officials “failed to acknowledge the catastrophic consequences of their actions, both as they pertain to American workers, the lives of millions around the world, and to US national interests”.

Trump intends to effectively dismantle USAID and move the organisation’s operations to the State Department.

Prominent Americans have expressed divergent views on Trump’s move. While Democrats in congress have described the administration’s moves as unconstitutional, Marco Rubio, US secretary of state, said USAID must align its programmes with policies of the Trump administration to move forward.

“The United States is not walking away from foreign aid. It’s not,” Rubio said on Wednesday during a visit to Guatemala.

“We’re going to continue to provide foreign aid and to be involved in programmes, but it has to be programmes that we can defend.

“It has to be programmes that we can explain. It has to be programmes that we can justify. Otherwise, we do endanger foreign aid.” he added.

Ad

X whatsapp