Staff at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) left its Washington, D.C. office on Friday, with some boxes apparently being directed at President Donald Trump, who is significantly cutting the agency’s workforce. I scribbled it down.
Thousands of staff were notified of pending layoffs weeks ago, and a federal judge on Friday tracked a massive layoff as the Trump administration aims to eliminate waste across federal officials. I’ve cleared the path to do so.
“We are abandoning the world,” read the message in one of the boxes being drawn out by grinning staff as she leaves the USAID Humanitarian Bureau.
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Another smiling staff box reads her message, “You can take humanists from USAID, but you can’t take humanity out of humanity,” and a brighter tone there was.
Recently, the United States Organization for International Development (USAID) staff left their job and have been praised by former USAID staff and supporters during a send-off outside the USAID office in Washington, DC on February 21, 2025. Snyder)
Staff were greeted outside the office by a small group of prominent supporters and former USAID workers with signs that read “We are USAID LOVE” and “Thank you for your service, USAID.” It was done.
I saw the other workers leave the office in tears.
The Trump administration plans to sabotage its agents and plans to leave less than 300 staff who will be working from its current 8,000 direct employers and contractors.
They will run a program that saves the few lives that the administration is trying to continue for the time being, along with 5,000 unknown international staff employed locally overseas.
Recently fired USAID staff departed the USAID office in Washington, DC on February 21, 2025 (Reuters/Briance Nyder)
USAID has sought specific criticism under the Elon Musk-led Office of Government Efficiency (DOGE) for alleged wasteful spending.
For example, Senator R-Iowa, Senator Joni Ernst, recently published a list of projects and programs that USAID has funded over the years.
USAID reveals several examples of suspicious spending in USAID, including over $900,000 for a “Gaza-based terrorcharity,” known as the Bayerder Association for Environment and Development Association, which states that “diversity, equity in the Serbian workplace; Includes the $1.5 million program planned for inclusion. and the business community. ”
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Trump moved to break the agency after imposing a 90-day suspension on foreign aid. He also appointed Secretary of State Marco Rubio as acting director of USAID.
Government employee unions have been suing to stop a massive layoff, but on Friday US District Judge Carl Nichols lifted a temporary restraining order issued at the beginning of the incident, citing employees. We refused to issue a long-term order to keep it in the post.
Tear-inducing staff leaves the USAID building in Washington, DC (Reuters/Briance Nyder).
Nichols, who was appointed President Trump for his first term, is not that he has jurisdiction to hear union cases or that he has the administration, as the affected employees did not go through the administrative dispute process. He writes that it is likely that he has not taken into consideration the broader discussion. By closing institutions created and funded by Congress, it violates the US Constitution.
The judge said the issue is jurisdiction and that the federal district court should not be involved at this stage and that the issue should be addressed administratively under the federal employment law.
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“In short, they have not established a potential for success on merit, as the court is likely to lack jurisdiction over the plaintiffs’ claims,” the judge’s decision in part.
“The court concludes that the plaintiffs have not demonstrated that they or their members suffer irreparable injuries if there is no injunction. Their claims are likely to succeed in merit; or conclude that the balance of difficulties or public interest strongly supports the injunction.”
Retired U.S. International Development Worker Julie Hanson Swanson joined USAID Workers’ advocates outside the USAID Humanitarian Office in Washington on Friday, February 21, 2025.
The union can now go to Washington, D.C., federal court of appeals for emergency relief to either revert the TRO or perhaps return it to a preliminary injunction.
Bill Mears, Andrew Mark Miller, Aubrie Spady, Deirdre Heavey, Morgan Phillips, Emma Colton and Reuters from Fox News contributed to this report.
Michael Dorgan is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business.
You can submit tips to Michael.dorgan@fox.com and follow him on Twitter @M_Dorgan.
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