The Trump administration announced a sweeping overhaul of the US Agency for International Development (USAID), placing all directly hired employees on administrative leave and recalling thousands working overseas. The move comes amid President Trump's efforts to merge USAID with the State Department and effectively dismantle it as an independent entity. The announcement has sparked concern about the disruption to vital humanitarian aid programs worldwide.
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“On Friday, February 7, 2025, at 11:59 pm all USAID direct hire personnel will be placed on administrative leave globally,” said an announcement on the USAID web site, which has been down since the weekend. For USAID staff overseas, Washington was preparing a plan in coordination with the State Department and would pay for the return travel of personnel to the United States within 30 days, the announcement said. It added that the USAID leadership was going to consider case-by-case exceptions based on personal hardship or concerns over mobility and safety.
But because Congress established USAID as an independent establishment within the executive branch, the President does not have the authority to abolish it without congressional authorization, according to a CRS report this week.Hundreds of USAID programs covering lifesaving aid across the globe came to a halt after Trump on Jan. 20 ordered a freeze of most U.S. foreign aid, saying he wanted to ensure it is aligned with his “America First” policy.
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