The Trump administration has announced the elimination of 1,600 positions at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), with the majority of the remaining employees placed on administrative leave as of late Sunday night. The move is part of a broader effort to restructure the agency following a temporary pause on foreign aid initiated by the administration.
According to notices sent to USAID personnel and reviewed by the Associated Press, nearly all direct-hire staff will be affected, with only a limited number of employees remaining in key positions. “As of 11:59 p.m. EST on Sunday, February 23, 2025, all USAID direct hire personnel, with the exception of designated personnel responsible for mission-critical functions, core leadership, and/or specially designated programs, will be placed on administrative leave globally,” the notices stated.
The reduction leaves fewer than 300 staff members to oversee critical operations alongside an undisclosed number of the approximately 5,000 locally hired international employees stationed abroad. The administration has indicated that select life-saving programs will continue under the revised structure.
On Friday, USAID employees in Washington, D.C., departed their offices, some carrying boxes with handwritten messages directed at the decision. One staffer’s box read, “We are abandoning the world,” while another message stated, “You can take the humanitarians out of USAID, but you can’t take the humanity out of the humanitarians.” The layoffs had been anticipated for weeks, following prior notification to affected staff.
The best video you’ll watch today…USAID employees getting fired 🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/GJTz7PpPJm
— Liz Churchill (@liz_churchill10) February 23, 2025
Legal challenges had temporarily delayed the implementation of the cuts. A lawsuit filed by government employee unions resulted in a temporary restraining order from U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols. However, on Friday, Nichols lifted the order and declined to issue a long-term injunction, allowing the administration to proceed with the workforce reductions.
The restructuring follows President Donald Trump’s decision to impose a 90-day pause on foreign aid while reviewing USAID’s expenditures. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has been appointed as the acting director of the agency.
🚨BREAKING:
Secretary of State Marco Rubio just deemed that only 294 USAID staffers are necessary out of 14,000.
The entire agency will be imminently reduced from 14,000 to 294 employees.
Share your thoughts… pic.twitter.com/FPkCIWp7Ua
— Ivanka Trump 🇺🇲 🦅 News (@IvankaNews_) February 8, 2025
USAID has been under scrutiny by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which is led by Elon Musk. The agency has been criticized for what has been described as excessive or misallocated spending. Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, who chairs the Senate DOGE Caucus, recently published a report detailing examples of USAID-funded projects that have raised concerns.
These include a $20 million investment to produce a Sesame Street program in Iraq, over $900,000 allocated to a Gaza-based organization identified as the Bayader Association for Environment and Development, and a $1.5 million initiative aimed at advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in Serbian workplaces.
The Trump administration has framed the changes at USAID as part of a broader effort to reform government spending and realign foreign aid priorities. As the administration continues its review, further restructuring within the agency is expected.
