US federal judge blocks more cuts, says Elon Musk’s DOGE ‘likely violated Constitution’ by dismantling USAID. Details

United States District Judge Theodore Chuang has indefinitely blocked the Elon Musk-headed Department of Government Efficiency from making further cuts to the US Agency for International Development, and ruled that DOGE, “likely violated the Constitution” by dismantling USAID, AP reported.

As per the order by Judge Chuang in Maryland, the Donald Trump-led administration is required to restore email and computer access to all USAID employees, including those put on administrative leave. The court has however, not reversed firings or fully resurrecting the agency, the report noted.

Attorneys of the USAID employees and contractors who filed the lawsuit said this ruling “effectively halts or reverses” many DOGE steps to dismantle the agency, the report added.

DOGE Dismantling of USAID ‘Unconstitutional’: What the Court Said…

Notably, the lawsuit in Maryland is among the ones that is directly against Elon Musk. Judge Chuang said DOGE's and Musk's fast-moving destruction of USAID likely harmed the public interest by depriving elected lawmakers of their “constitutional authority to decide whether, when and how to close down an agency created by Congress.”

Granting a preliminary injunction, Judge Chuang also challenged the government’s position that Elon Musk is merely US President Donald Trump's adviser. He referred to the billionaire's X (Twitter) post saying he “fed USAID into the wood chipper” to note that the Tesla owner's public statements and social media posts demonstrate that he has “firm control over DOGE”.

“It’s likely that USAID is no longer capable of performing some of its statutorily required functions. Taken together, these facts support the conclusion that USAID has been effectively eliminated,” Chuang wrote.

What is the Lawsuit Against DOGE, Elon Musk About?

The lawsuit filed by non-profit State Democracy Defenders Fund (SDDF) alleges that Elon Musk and DOGE are wielding power the Constitution “reserves only for those who win elections or are confirmed by the Senate”. 

Norm Eisen, executive chair or SDDF called the ruling a “milestone in pushback to DOGE” and added: “They are performing surgery with a chainsaw instead of a scalpel, harming not just the people USAID serves but the majority of Americans who count on the stability of our government.”

In its defence during the hearing, representatives for the Donald Trump administration argued that DOGE is “searching for and rooting out waste, fraud and abuse” in the federal government. The White House and DOGE did not immediately respond to queries, AP reported.

(With inputs from AP)