The Trump administration has announced that most employees of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) are placed on administrative leave as part of a drastic cost-cutting initiative, leading to thousands of layoffs during a nearly unprecedented restructuring of U.S. foreign aid efforts.**
USAID Workforce Faces Major Cuts as Trump Administration Pivots on Foreign Aid**
USAID Workforce Faces Major Cuts as Trump Administration Pivots on Foreign Aid**
A significant reduction in USAID staff emerges as the Trump administration continues its overhaul of U.S. foreign aid efforts.**
The Trump administration has initiated a large restructuring at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), placing the majority of its workforce on administrative leave and planning to lay off approximately 2,000 employees. This substantial downsizing effort, described in an internal email seen by CBS News, affects around 10,000 individuals, two-thirds of whom are stationed overseas.
This decision follows a recent legal battle regarding cuts to USAID amid President Donald Trump's efforts to eliminate thousands of jobs within the agency. A federal judge permitted the continuation of the layoffs after temporarily halting such measures earlier this month, stating that the legal pause would not be indefinite. The remaining staff, designated as "critical personnel," will continue to work, although the exact number of those deemed essential is not disclosed.
In an email to staff, the Office of the Administrator indicated that USAID aims to cover the travel costs for international employees returning home. The judge’s recent ruling has escalated the administration's plan to reduce personnel, which aligns with Trump and advisor Elon Musk’s broader agenda to streamline the federal workforce and decrease federal spending.
Trump's disdain for USAID has been vocalized during interventions at conservative events, where he has denounced the agency's overseas spending practices that conflict with his “America First” strategy. In a statement from a convention, Trump pronounced, "We've also effectively ended the left-wing scam known as USAID," suggesting a radical shift in U.S. foreign aid policy.
Recently, USAID's sign has been removed from its building in Washington, D.C., which will now be occupied by Customs and Border Protection (CBP), marking a significant transformation for the footprint of U.S. foreign aid. The CBP has secured a lease for nearly 400,000 square feet in the former USAID headquarters.
The drastic cuts at USAID are already having a ripple effect on global humanitarian efforts, with numerous aid programs frozen in various countries since Trump's initial announcement in January. As the U.S. remains the largest donor of humanitarian assistance worldwide, experts voice concerns about the potential consequences of this policy shift.
Former USAID chief Gayle Smith remarked that such a departure from U.S. aid commitments sends troubling signals globally, indicating a lack of concern for international welfare and reliability as a partner in humanitarian efforts. As fears of global health crises loom and countries dependent on U.S. aid await clarity on their funding futures, the development has raised alarms among aid professionals and analysts around the world.
