Judge to obstruct Trump administration initiative to place 2,200 USAID employees on leave
The ruling by U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols, who was appointed by Trump, serves as a quick rebuke to the administration's efforts to dismantle the agency.
TroibNews 
A federal judge is set to order an immediate suspension of significant parts of President Donald Trump's initiative to dismantle the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), preventing Secretary of State Marco Rubio from putting 2,200 agency employees on leave within hours.
"They should not put those 2,200 people on administrative leave,” U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols, a Trump appointee, stated to the Trump administration's attorneys during an emergency hearing on Friday. The judge indicated he would finalize his ruling later that evening.
This decision represents a swift pushback against the efforts to dismantle USAID, which is responsible for administering billions of dollars in international aid programs. Recently, Elon Musk has played a leading role in rapidly pursuing the agency's dissolution, with Trump calling for its closure earlier on Friday.
Nichols is also considering whether to require the government to bring back 500 workers who have already been placed on leave in recent days, pending a lawsuit filed by USAID employees and their union.
The ruling follows warnings from USAID employees' lawyers about the potentially disastrous effects of Trump’s actions. They expressed concern that employees were abruptly cut off from government systems, which has left some in perilous international locations without access to safety information. Others have been denied medical care or recalled to the United States, forcing them to leave family members behind or relocate to a country where they lack homes and income.
Brett Shumate, the acting head of the Justice Department's Civil Division and an attorney for the Trump administration, urged Nichols to avoid emergency intervention, suggesting that the matter was merely an employment issue that could be handled through standard grievance processes. He emphasized that the 2,200 employees on leave would still receive their pay and could contest any actions they deemed improper.
Shumate argued that Rubio, acting under Trump's directives, possesses "broad authority over foreign affairs and diplomats and foreign service officers and can order them anywhere in the world he would like them." He also noted that these measures stemmed from Trump’s belief that the agency was rife with fraud and corruption. When Nichols inquired for more details about this assertion, Shumate maintained that no further explanation was necessary.
“When the president exercises his Article II power … he doesn’t have to show cause,” Shumate remarked, referring to the constitutional powers vested in the presidency.
Despite this, Nichols emphasized the potential significant harm facing the employees without court intervention and acknowledged that they had presented a plausible case indicating the Trump administration may have exceeded its authority. He assured that his order would be “very limited” and that he would establish an expedited timeline to address the complex legal issues as swiftly as possible.
Sanya Singh contributed to this report for TROIB News
"They should not put those 2,200 people on administrative leave,” U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols, a Trump appointee, stated to the Trump administration's attorneys during an emergency hearing on Friday. The judge indicated he would finalize his ruling later that evening.
This decision represents a swift pushback against the efforts to dismantle USAID, which is responsible for administering billions of dollars in international aid programs. Recently, Elon Musk has played a leading role in rapidly pursuing the agency's dissolution, with Trump calling for its closure earlier on Friday.
Nichols is also considering whether to require the government to bring back 500 workers who have already been placed on leave in recent days, pending a lawsuit filed by USAID employees and their union.
The ruling follows warnings from USAID employees' lawyers about the potentially disastrous effects of Trump’s actions. They expressed concern that employees were abruptly cut off from government systems, which has left some in perilous international locations without access to safety information. Others have been denied medical care or recalled to the United States, forcing them to leave family members behind or relocate to a country where they lack homes and income.
Brett Shumate, the acting head of the Justice Department's Civil Division and an attorney for the Trump administration, urged Nichols to avoid emergency intervention, suggesting that the matter was merely an employment issue that could be handled through standard grievance processes. He emphasized that the 2,200 employees on leave would still receive their pay and could contest any actions they deemed improper.
Shumate argued that Rubio, acting under Trump's directives, possesses "broad authority over foreign affairs and diplomats and foreign service officers and can order them anywhere in the world he would like them." He also noted that these measures stemmed from Trump’s belief that the agency was rife with fraud and corruption. When Nichols inquired for more details about this assertion, Shumate maintained that no further explanation was necessary.
“When the president exercises his Article II power … he doesn’t have to show cause,” Shumate remarked, referring to the constitutional powers vested in the presidency.
Despite this, Nichols emphasized the potential significant harm facing the employees without court intervention and acknowledged that they had presented a plausible case indicating the Trump administration may have exceeded its authority. He assured that his order would be “very limited” and that he would establish an expedited timeline to address the complex legal issues as swiftly as possible.
Sanya Singh contributed to this report for TROIB News
