More than 2,000 employees at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) were fired, while thousands more were reported to have been placed on “administrative leave.”
Staffers received notices informing them that “as of 11:59 p.m. EST on Sunday, February 23, 2025,” all USAID employees would be “placed on administrative leave globally,” except for employees “responsible for mission-critical functions” and “core leadership,” according to the Associated Press (AP).
Employees were also notified that USAID “was beginning a reduction in force that would eliminate 2,000 U.S.-based jobs,” however this was later changed in another notice to 1,600 employees reportedly having their jobs affected, according to the outlet.
The layoffs of thousands of employees from USAID come after a Trump-appointed judge ruled that if the Trump administration “deems it necessary to place thousands of workers on leave in order to review U.S.-backed foreign assistance,” they are allowed to do that, according to ABC News.
“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 sent to employees read.
A notice on their website reads:
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.
Concurrently, USAID is beginning to implement a Reduction-in-Force that will affect approximately 1,600 USAID personnel with duty stations in the United States.
Individuals that are impacted will receive specific notifications on February 23, 2025, with further instructions and information about their benefits and rights.
Designated essential personnel who are expected to continue working will be informed by Agency leadership February 23, 2025, by 5 p.m. EST.
For overseas personnel, USAID intends a voluntary Agency-funded return travel program and other benefits. USAID is committed to keeping its overseas personnel safe. Until they return home, personnel will retain access to Agency systems and to diplomatic and other resources.
In the coming week, we will provide details on how to retrieve personal items from the former USAID workspaces and return government issued devices.
Additional guidance is forthcoming, and all future updates/notices will continue to be communicated through official USAID channels and posted on USAID.gov for those without access to USAID systems.
On Friday, U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols ruled that the “two unions representing thousands of foreign service officers had failed to demonstrate how personnel changes at USAID” would lead to “irreparable harm” and added that if the Trump administration felt it was necessary to put workers on administrative leave, they can, according to the ABC News.
“According to the government, interfering with this ‘pencils down’ approach would prevent it from auditing USAID’s operations in the manner necessary to ensure the agency is acting in the national (and perhaps global) interest,” Nichols wrote.
The ruling from Nicholas came after he previously issued a temporary block on the Trump administration placing more than 2,000 USAID employees on paid leave.
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