The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump is set to either terminate or place on leave nearly all employees of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), according to a notice posted on the agency’s website.
Effective 11:59 p.m. EST on Sunday (04:59 GMT Monday), all USAID employees—except for those handling “mission-critical functions, core leadership, and specially designated programs”—will be placed on “administrative leave globally.”
Additionally, the agency plans to lay off approximately 1,600 U.S.-based employees, with the notification process beginning on February 23, 2025. “Individuals that are impacted will receive specific notifications on February 23, 2025, with further instructions and information about their benefits and rights,” the notice stated. Meanwhile, “designated essential personnel who are expected to continue working will be informed by Agency leadership [on] February 23, 2025, by 5 p.m. EST [22:00 GMT].”
An earlier communication to staff had indicated that as many as 2,000 U.S.-based positions would be eliminated. The agency did not provide an explanation for the discrepancy.
The decision follows a ruling by a U.S. judge on Friday that allowed the Trump administration to proceed with plans to recall thousands of USAID staff from overseas within 30 days. USAID’s notice stated that a voluntary, agency-funded return travel program would be available for international personnel, along with other benefits.
“USAID is committed to keeping its overseas personnel safe. Until they return home, personnel will retain access to Agency systems and to diplomatic and other resources,” the notice read. “In the coming week, we will provide details on how to retrieve personal items from the former USAID workspaces and return government-issued devices.”
The move is part of a broader effort, spearheaded by the Department of Government Efficiency—led by tech billionaire Elon Musk—to significantly scale back the agency, which is the primary U.S. body for distributing humanitarian aid abroad. Musk, a vocal critic of USAID, has referred to it as a “criminal organization” and a “viper’s nest of radical-left Marxists who hate America.” He and other Trump allies have accused the agency of waste, fraud, and pursuing a liberal agenda beyond its intended mission.
Former USAID officials and humanitarian organizations have condemned the decision, warning of severe global repercussions. “Eliminating [the] U.S. unique response capacity of crisis experts who help contain disease outbreaks, stabilise displaced populations – a shortsighted, high-risk and, frankly, stupid act,” said Marcia Wong, a former deputy assistant administrator for USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance, in a post on X.
Established in 1961 by former President John F. Kennedy, USAID is the world’s largest humanitarian aid donor, overseeing more than half of Washington’s $72 billion foreign aid budget in 2023.
