Trump administration pulling almost all USAID workers off the job worldwide

The Trump administration recently announced that it would withdraw almost all overseas staff of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), effectively terminating the mission of this agency, which was established more than six decades ago and is dedicated to eliminating hunger, funding education, and combating epidemics worldwide. This move marks an unprecedented crisis for the agency.

The decision was communicated to USAID staff via email and online announcements. Previously, political appointees from Trump's first term and Elon Musk's government efficiency team had been working to cut USAID's spending, arguing that its large expenditures on overseas projects were wasteful. This large-scale withdrawal is the latest move in their ongoing effort to weaken the aid agency.

The order, which took effect before midnight on Friday, requires USAID's directly hired overseas employees (many of whom have begun packing their bags in preparation for being laid off) to return home within 30 days unless they are deemed "essential." Contract workers will also be laid off if they are not deemed "essential." This move has sparked widespread concern, especially after previous rumors that the agency might be integrated into the State Department.

Despite strong opposition from Democratic lawmakers, USAID has been a key target of the new administration and Musk's government efficiency unit, which seeks to reduce the size of the federal government. They ordered a halt to spending, paralyzing U.S.-funded global aid and development efforts, and reduced senior leadership and staff through furloughs and layoffs, even closing the Washington headquarters. Reportedly, the agency's computer servers were also removed. Musk claimed on X, "Been busy all weekend throwing USAID into a wood chipper."

The mass withdrawal of thousands of staff from overseas and Washington will jeopardize billions of dollars in projects in approximately 120 countries, including security assistance to partners like Ukraine, and development efforts such as clean water, vocational training, and education, including education for girls in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan. The United States is the world's largest donor of humanitarian aid, but its foreign aid spending accounts for less than 1% of the budget, lower than some countries. Health programs that once helped end polio and smallpox, and AIDS programs that have saved more than 20 million lives in Africa, have been halted. Monitoring of infectious diseases such as Ebola and deployment of rapid response teams have also ceased. Hundreds of millions of dollars worth of food and medicine shipped by U.S. companies have been stranded in ports due to the government's abrupt closure of the agency.

Democratic lawmakers and others have stated that USAID is established as an independent agency in legislation and cannot be closed without congressional approval. Supporters of USAID from both parties say that its overseas work is crucial to countering the influence of Russia, China, and other adversaries, and to strengthening alliances and partnerships. The decision to prematurely withdraw direct-hire employees and their families could cost the government tens of millions of dollars in travel and relocation expenses. Employees placed on leave include foreign service and civil service personnel who are legally protected from arbitrary dismissal and unjustified leave. The American Foreign Service Association, which represents U.S. diplomats, has issued a notice to its members condemning the decision and stating that it is preparing to take legal action to block or impede it.

However, locally employed USAID staff do not have much recourse and are excluded from the federal government's voluntary buyout program. As rumors of layoffs loomed, USAID staff and their families faced difficult decisions, including whether to pull their children out of school mid-year. Some even gave up pet cats and dogs, fearing that the Trump administration would not give them enough time to complete the paperwork to take the animals with them. Today's notice states that case-by-case exceptions will be considered for those who need more time. But with much of the agency's staff about to depart, it is unclear who will handle such claims or the other paperwork required for the mass evacuation of thousands of overseas employees.

Musk's team shut down USAID's website over the weekend, and it was restored online on Tuesday evening with the sole posting of the notice of recall or termination of global staff. Meanwhile, Secretary of State Marco Rubio is visiting five Central American countries and met with embassy and USAID staff from the two largest USAID missions in the region, El Salvador and Guatemala, on Monday and Tuesday. Journalists traveling with Rubio were not allowed to listen in on the so-called "meet and greets" held in those two countries, but at a similar event held in Panama on Sunday, journalists were allowed in, and Rubio praised the dedication and commitment of the staff, especially the local staff.

At a press conference earlier on Tuesday, Rubio said that he has "long been a supporter of foreign aid. I continue to support foreign aid. But foreign aid is not charity." He noted that every dollar the United States spends must advance its national interests. The online notice stated that employees who will be exempt from furlough include those responsible for "mission-critical functions, core leadership, and specially designated projects," who will be notified on Thursday afternoon. "Thank you for your service," the notice concluded.