Judge Rules Trump’s Dismantling of USAID Likely Violates Constitution
A federal judge ruled on Tuesday that the dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) likely violated constitutional provisions. As a result, the judge issued an indefinite halt on further reductions to the agency.
The court order requires the Trump administration to reinstate email and computer access for all USAID employees, including those placed on administrative leave. However, it does not extend to reversing terminations or fully restoring the agency, according to The Associated Press.
In a case that marks one of the first legal challenges to DOGE directly implicating Elon Musk, U.S. District Judge Theodore Chuang of Maryland—an Obama-era appointee—dismissed the Trump administration’s claim that Musk acts solely as an advisor to President Donald Trump. The judge pointed to Musk’s public remarks and social media activity, ruling that they indicate he has “firm control over DOGE.” One key piece of evidence was a social media post in which Musk stated he had “fed USAID into the wood chipper.”
Judge Chuang noted that USAID likely can no longer perform some of its legally mandated duties.
“Taken together, these facts support the conclusion that USAID has been effectively eliminated,” he wrote in the injunction.
A lawsuit filed by USAID employees and contractors argues that Musk and DOGE are wielding powers that should be restricted to elected officials or Senate-confirmed appointees. The plaintiffs’ legal team stated that the ruling “effectively halts or reverses” many of the steps taken to dismantle the agency, as reported by the AP.
The administration has defended DOGE’s mission as an effort to root out waste, fraud, and abuse within the federal government—an initiative that was a core element of Trump’s 2024 campaign. The White House and DOGE did not provide immediate comments on the ruling, per the AP, which has faced restricted access to Trump.
Musk, along with his team and Trump political appointee Pete Marocco, has played a central role in the two-month-long push to shut down USAID. For example, in early February, the administration placed the agency’s top security officials on forced leave after they attempted to prevent DOGE personnel from accessing classified and sensitive USAID files.
With Musk and DOGE’s backing, the administration proceeded to place nearly all USAID employees on forced leave or terminate them. Additionally, at least 83% of the agency’s program contracts were canceled, according to information from the State Department.
These measures were part of the Trump administration’s broader strategy to shut down the foreign aid organization, which has operated for six decades. Musk has publicly stated that his team uncovered tens of billions in excessive spending and described USAID’s operations as difficult to monitor due to inadequate transparency.
On the day of his inauguration, Trump signed an executive order freezing foreign assistance funds and initiating a review of all U.S. aid and development programs. He argued that a significant portion of the funding was unnecessary and aligned with a liberal agenda. However, Democratic lawmakers and USAID advocates contend that Trump lacked the legal authority to withhold funds already approved by Congress.
Judge Chuang asserted that the swift dismantling of USAID by DOGE and Musk likely undermines public interests by stripping elected lawmakers of their “constitutional authority to decide whether, when and how to close down an agency created by Congress.”
The lawsuit was filed by the State Democracy Defenders Fund. Norm Eisen, the nonprofit’s executive chair, characterized the ruling as a critical moment in the legal battle against DOGE, emphasizing that it is the first case to determine that Musk’s actions violate the Constitution’s Appointments Clause, which mandates presidential nomination and Senate confirmation for certain officials.
“They are performing surgery with a chainsaw instead of a scalpel, harming not just the people USAID serves but the majority of Americans who count on the stability of our government,” Eisen stated, as cited by the AP.