Nearly all direct hires worldwide will be placed on administrative leave this week, the U.S. Agency for International Development said Tuesday evening.
Following days of criticism by members of the Trump administration, including President Donald Trump, the organization’s website announced the relocation.
According to the release, “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,” starting at 11:59 p.m. Friday.
By 3 p.m., those who are anticipated to continue working will be informed. “The government is working on a plan to return workers who are not in the country back to the United States if contracts are not determined to be essential,” the declaration stated on Thursday.
“Thank you for your service” concludes it.
According to the Congressional Research Service, or CRS, USAID “direct hires” are civil and foreign service employees. There are additional ways for people to interact with USAID.
Thousands of workers were impacted by the notification given Tuesday night.
According to a January assessment by the research service, USAID employs over 10,000 direct recruits and a category of contractor known as personal services contractors. Approximately two-thirds of employees are employed abroad.
The move to “dismantle” USAID has been condemned by the American Foreign Service Association, which represents over 1,800 foreign service professionals, primarily at more than 80 USAID missions abroad.
Trump signed an executive order on his first day in office that froze foreign aid money for a minimum of ninety days. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced he was taking over the agency after its headquarters were abruptly closed Monday.
State Department staffer Pete Marocco was subsequently named to lead the organization.
Many Democratic politicians have voiced their outrage, claiming that it is illegal and that USAID was created by a bill that Congress passed. Republicans have also expressed disapproval.
At a fraction of the total federal budget, USAID sends billions of dollars in humanitarian help abroad, which advocates say is a vital lifeline to over 100 countries.
After Congress passed the Foreign Assistance Act in 1961, President John F. Kennedy issued an executive order creating USAID.
The establishment of an entity to oversee foreign aid was mandated by the law.
The Foreign Affairs Reform and Restructuring Act of 1998 was approved by Congress and signed into law by Bill Clinton during his presidency, establishing USAID as a separate organization from the State Department.
Trump does not have the power to eliminate USAID, according to a report released this month by the Congressional Research Service, and any such action would need the approval of Congress.
According to the Congressional Research Service, USAID distributed about $40 billion in total funding to roughly 130 countries in fiscal year 2023.
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Ukraine, which is waging a horrific war after being invaded by Russia, Somalia, Ethiopia, Jordan, and Congo, was among the top receivers.
The Trump administration pledged to drastically alter the government and drastically reduce foreign aid. Elon Musk claimed early Monday on X that he and Trump were “shutting down USAID.”
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According to a White House official, Musk is working for the administration as a “special government employee.”We spent the weekend feeding USAID into the wood chipper,” he wrote in a post.
The removal of USAID would make the United States less powerful in South America and Africa and give China and Russia greater sway over other countries.
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