Unions Take Legal Action Against Trump Administration Over USAID Shutdown

Government employee unions have filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration in an effort to prevent the shutdown of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), an independent agency responsible for foreign assistance programs.

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk, initiated sweeping measures against USAID over the weekend, restricting staff access to internal systems and placing thousands of employees on administrative leave.

By Thursday, the administration had reportedly reduced the agency’s workforce from over 10,000 employees to fewer than 300.

The American Foreign Service Association (AFSA) and the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) jointly filed the lawsuit against President Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, USAID, the State Department, and the Department of Treasury. The suit seeks injunctive relief to halt efforts to dismantle USAID’s operations.

“These actions have sparked a global humanitarian crisis by abruptly ending the essential work of USAID employees, grantees, and contractors. They have resulted in massive job losses for Americans and jeopardized U.S. national security interests,” the lawsuit states.

The plaintiffs are demanding several urgent measures, including the appointment of an independent acting director for USAID, the reopening of agency buildings, restoration of internal systems and online resources, reinstatement of all grants and contracts, a freeze on additional administrative leave placements, and the revocation of furlough notices and mandatory evacuation orders.