Fired USAID employees applauded leaving DC office for last time
Demonstrators outside the USAID offices in Washington, D.C., broke into applause as fired employees returned to pick up their belongings.
A federal judge on Tuesday blocked Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency from firing any more USAID employees or terminating USAID contracts, writing that efforts to speedily shut down the aid organization were likely unconstitutional.
The Trump administration’s shutdown efforts “likely violated the United States Constitution in multiple ways,” wrote Judge Theodore D. Chuang.
Chuang wrote that the accelerated process “deprived the public’s elected representatives in Congress of their constitutional authority to decide whether, when, and how to close down an agency created by Congress.”
Chuang issued a preliminary injunction blocking Musk and DOGE from taking various steps while he continues to consider the case before issuing a final ruling. In addition to barring them from firing more employees, Chuang ordered them to reinstate access to email and payment systems for all current USAID employees.
This story has been updated with additional information. This is a developing story.