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Explained: Why has Donald Trump placed 10,000 USAID workers on forced leaves? 10 points
President Trump plans to reduce USAID staff to under 300 from over 10,000 as part of a government reorganisation program led by Elon Musk. This follows Trump's order to pause all US foreign aid on his inauguration day.
US President Donald Trump has put into action a plan to cut down on the staff of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) to fewer than 300 from the agency's worldwide total of more than 10,000 employees, who were laid off or placed on leave, Reuters reported citing sources.
Washington's primary humanitarian aid agency has been a target of a government reorganization program spearheaded by tech billionaire Elon Musk, a close Trump ally, since the Republican president took office on January 20.
On January 20, the day he was inaugurated, Donald Trump ordered a pause on all US foreign aid. The State Department then ordered the halting of USAID projects worldwide, agency computer systems went offline, and staff were abruptly laid off or placed on leave.
Here's what we know so far:
- On Tuesday, the Trump administration announced it was going to put on leave all directly hired USAID employees globally and recall thousands of personnel working overseas.
- Secretary of State Marco Rubio had said the administration was identifying and designating programs that would be exempted from the sweeping stop-work orders, which have threatened efforts around the globe to stop the spread of disease, prevent famine and otherwise alleviate poverty.
- According to a Reuters report citing sources familiar with the Trump administration's plan, only 294 USAID staff would be allowed to keep their jobs. This included only 12 in the Africa bureau and 8 in the Asia bureau.
- According to the Congressional Research Service (CRS), USAID employs more than 10,000 people worldwide, of which two-thirds are outside the United States.
- Some workers have begun receiving termination notices, Reuters reported, citing sources at the agency.
- Federal employees were asked to indicate their interest by typing RESIGN into the subject line of an email from their government accounts.
- The offer promises to pay employees' regular salaries and benefits until October without requiring them to work, but that may not be ironclad. Current spending laws expire on March 14 and there is no guarantee that salaries will be funded beyond that point.
- The Education Department told staffers that those who accept the buyout could see their paychecks stop at any time, media outlets reported. Labour unions and Democrats have said the offer is not trustworthy.
- The USAID website said, “All USAID direct hire personnel will be placed on administrative leave globally, with the exception of designated personnel responsible for mission-critical functions, core leadership and specially designated programs.”
- The largest US government workers' union – American Federation of Government Employees – and an association of foreign service workers – the American Foreign Service Association – sued the Trump administration.
- The lawsuit sought an order blocking what it says are “unconstitutional and illegal actions” that have created a “global humanitarian crisis”.
- “The agency's collapse has had disastrous humanitarian consequences,” Thursday's lawsuit said, including shutting down efforts to fight malaria and HIV. “Already, 300 babies that would not have had HIV, now do. Thousands of girls and women will die from pregnancy and childbirth.”
- A US judge has temporarily blocked the proposed buyout for federal workers until at least Monday, giving labour unions that sued to stop it an initial win.
- Even as the program was stayed, more than 60,000 federal employees have already accepted the buyout offer, a White House source told Reuters.
- The ruling came hours before the midnight deadline for workers to apply for the deferred resignation program, which has been commonly described as a buyout.
- Trump’s press secretary then accused some federal workers of wanting to “rip the American people off.”
- Trump's foreign aid freeze and the shutdown of USAID have also crippled global efforts to relieve hunger, leaving about 500,000 metric tons of food worth $340 million in limbo.
- The Wall Street Journal reported the White House is planning to order the Food and Drug Administration and other health-care agencies to fire thousands of workers. The White House denied the report.
(With agency inputs)
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First Published:7 Feb 2025, 07:47 AM IST
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