A federal judge has determined that the Trump administration's effective closure of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) likely breached constitutional guidelines. In a detailed 68-page opinion, Judge Theodore Chuang, appointed during the Obama era, argued that the administration's swift actions to dismantle USAID, including the decision to permanently close its headquarters without proper authorization, likely violated the Constitution. This move, he noted, undermined the authority of Congress, which is constitutionally empowered to make such decisions.
The lawsuit was brought by over two dozen current and former USAID employees and contractors. The defendants include Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Judge Chuang highlighted evidence suggesting that Musk, despite lacking formal authority, was responsible for the decision to close USAID's headquarters and website, contradicting claims by the Department of Justice that USAID leadership was to blame.
President Trump criticized the ruling in a Fox News interview, labeling it as detrimental to the country and indicating plans to appeal. He justified the agency's closure by citing issues of waste and fraud.
Recently, USAID employees affected by the shutdown were instructed to retrieve their belongings from the closed headquarters in Washington, D.C. Meanwhile, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has canceled most foreign aid contracts.
Norm Eisen, representing the plaintiffs, hailed the decision as a significant victory against Musk and DOGE's actions, which he described as reckless and damaging to both USAID's beneficiaries and the broader American public. Judge Chuang's ruling mandates the restoration of access to essential systems for USAID employees and prohibits further shutdown actions.
Despite this legal win, with most of USAID's operations already halted and its workforce significantly reduced, the immediate impact of the judge's order remains uncertain. Abby Maxman of Oxfam America called the ruling a temporary relief but stressed the need for full restoration of funding and staffing to continue USAID's critical work.
Jeremy Konyndyk of Refugees International expressed disappointment with the limited scope of the judge's remedy, which focuses on the workforce rather than broader contracting and funding issues. Nonetheless, he acknowledged the ruling's importance in affirming the constitutional violations by DOGE and Musk in the agency's closure. Konyndyk criticized Musk's role, noting that despite presidential backing, Musk lacked formal authority to dismantle a federal agency.