Trump places USAID employees globally on leave
The agency has announced plans to organize and cover the costs for many individuals to return to the U.S. in approximately one month.
TroibNews 
By Friday night, thousands of Americans employed by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) across the globe will be placed on leave, and those stationed overseas will be required to return to the U.S. within weeks, as stated in a notice issued by the Trump administration.
This internal announcement, circulated late Tuesday, represents another significant blow to USAID, the U.S. government's principal agency for foreign humanitarian assistance. President Donald Trump and his supporters, including tech entrepreneur Elon Musk, seem intent on reducing the agency's size and potentially merging it with the State Department, despite opposition from Democrats who argue that such significant changes necessitate congressional approval.
Earlier in the day, officials indicated that the majority of USAID staff based in Washington would be placed on paid administrative leave by day's end.
Managing the situation for overseas personnel is more complex, particularly as it entails relocating numerous employees and their families. The agency specified that these employees would have about a month to return to the U.S., stating it would “arrange and pay for return travel.”
According to the notice, there will be exceptions for some personnel to be put on leave, including “designated personnel responsible for mission critical functions, core leadership and specially designated programs.” Additionally, the administration may consider extending travel timelines based on factors like personal or family hardship.
The concluding lines of the notice expressed gratitude: “Thank you for your service.”
The exact number of affected employees remains unclear. USAID reports a global workforce exceeding 10,000, though many individuals are contractors or foreign nationals. The announcement indicated that numerous contracts would be terminated, but it is anticipated that direct hires will continue to receive pay, at least while they are still officially on leave.
The announcement shocked USAID officials and contractors, even following a week filled with drastic actions by the Trump administration aimed at altering the agency.
“I gave a lot of my adult life to this agency working in really adverse conditions in conflict zones and what I got in return is a ‘thank you for your service’ out of nowhere so I can go file for unemployment I guess,” remarked one USAID official stationed abroad. “I feel devastated. I feel like it’s cruel, what they’re doing. Every day has been mass confusion,” echoed another overseas USAID staff member.
The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity, as they were not authorized to communicate with the press and were concerned about potential political repercussions for sharing their views publicly.
Democratic representatives have condemned such actions, calling them illegal and unconstitutional, and criticising the Trump administration, alongside Musk and his so-called Department of Government Efficiency initiative, for effectively aiming to close an independent U.S. agency without obtaining congressional consent.
Concerns regarding the safety of USAID employees and contractors in conflict-affected regions like Congo and South Sudan have also been raised by three current and two former agency officials, following the administration's decision to suspend normal operations at USAID.
These officials, who spoke under the cloak of anonymity to address internal issues, noted that staff and contractors have been removed from U.S. government systems that provide threat assessments and an application designed to notify diplomatic security services of their locations in emergencies.
“They’re endangering U.S. personnel abroad in the name of efficiency back home, to say nothing of the lives this will cost with a cut off of food and medical aid to the most needy,” one official commented.
Amy MacKinnon contributed to this report.
James del Carmen for TROIB News
This internal announcement, circulated late Tuesday, represents another significant blow to USAID, the U.S. government's principal agency for foreign humanitarian assistance. President Donald Trump and his supporters, including tech entrepreneur Elon Musk, seem intent on reducing the agency's size and potentially merging it with the State Department, despite opposition from Democrats who argue that such significant changes necessitate congressional approval.
Earlier in the day, officials indicated that the majority of USAID staff based in Washington would be placed on paid administrative leave by day's end.
Managing the situation for overseas personnel is more complex, particularly as it entails relocating numerous employees and their families. The agency specified that these employees would have about a month to return to the U.S., stating it would “arrange and pay for return travel.”
According to the notice, there will be exceptions for some personnel to be put on leave, including “designated personnel responsible for mission critical functions, core leadership and specially designated programs.” Additionally, the administration may consider extending travel timelines based on factors like personal or family hardship.
The concluding lines of the notice expressed gratitude: “Thank you for your service.”
The exact number of affected employees remains unclear. USAID reports a global workforce exceeding 10,000, though many individuals are contractors or foreign nationals. The announcement indicated that numerous contracts would be terminated, but it is anticipated that direct hires will continue to receive pay, at least while they are still officially on leave.
The announcement shocked USAID officials and contractors, even following a week filled with drastic actions by the Trump administration aimed at altering the agency.
“I gave a lot of my adult life to this agency working in really adverse conditions in conflict zones and what I got in return is a ‘thank you for your service’ out of nowhere so I can go file for unemployment I guess,” remarked one USAID official stationed abroad. “I feel devastated. I feel like it’s cruel, what they’re doing. Every day has been mass confusion,” echoed another overseas USAID staff member.
The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity, as they were not authorized to communicate with the press and were concerned about potential political repercussions for sharing their views publicly.
Democratic representatives have condemned such actions, calling them illegal and unconstitutional, and criticising the Trump administration, alongside Musk and his so-called Department of Government Efficiency initiative, for effectively aiming to close an independent U.S. agency without obtaining congressional consent.
Concerns regarding the safety of USAID employees and contractors in conflict-affected regions like Congo and South Sudan have also been raised by three current and two former agency officials, following the administration's decision to suspend normal operations at USAID.
These officials, who spoke under the cloak of anonymity to address internal issues, noted that staff and contractors have been removed from U.S. government systems that provide threat assessments and an application designed to notify diplomatic security services of their locations in emergencies.
“They’re endangering U.S. personnel abroad in the name of efficiency back home, to say nothing of the lives this will cost with a cut off of food and medical aid to the most needy,” one official commented.
Amy MacKinnon contributed to this report.
James del Carmen for TROIB News
