By Hassanat Adebowale
The Trump administration has announced a significant reduction in the workforce of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), cutting the number of employees to just a few hundred. Reports indicate that the agency’s staff will be reduced from over 10,000 employees worldwide to around 290 starting this weekend.
The New York Times, citing three sources familiar with the plans, reported that the drastic cuts are part of President Donald Trump’s ongoing efforts to streamline the agency. National Public Radio (NPR) added that U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio had reviewed a list of approximately 600 employees considered essential, but ultimately exempted fewer than 300 from the cuts.
In January, President Trump had already frozen USAID’s funds pending an internal review, which affected numerous global initiatives. USAID, one of the world’s largest aid agencies, is responsible for delivering much of the U.S. government’s humanitarian assistance to developing countries and nations in crisis.
Trump has criticized the agency, claiming it is run by “radical lunatics” intent on obstructing his America First foreign policy agenda. This week, the U.S. government announced that a large portion of USAID employees would be placed on leave starting Friday night.
According to a statement on USAID’s website, all “direct-hire personnel” working globally for the agency will be placed on “administrative leave,” except for those in critical positions. The affected employees will be informed one day in advance.
Currently, around 10,000 people work for USAID, with two-thirds stationed outside the United States. Last year, the agency managed approximately $50 billion in development aid projects.
The New York Times reported that the remaining staff will primarily focus on health and humanitarian aid. This reduction in workforce is expected to have significant repercussions on the agency’s ability to fulfill its mission and deliver aid worldwide.
The announcement has sparked concern among international development experts and humanitarian organizations, who fear that the drastic cuts will undermine U.S. efforts to provide assistance to vulnerable populations around the globe.
As the Trump administration moves forward with these changes, the future of USAID and its global initiatives remains uncertain. The implications of the cuts will likely be felt across various sectors, including health, education, and economic development, where USAID has historically played a crucial role.
In the United States, agencies like USAID operate under specific laws and regulations when it comes to employment and how they operate. While the Executive Branch can direct how these agencies run, any significant reduction in workforce might face legal scrutiny under federal employment laws and Congressional oversight.
For instance, the Antideficiency Act and other related laws prevent agencies from using funds beyond what has been allocated to them. This means that prolonged freezes or large-scale layoffs could bring up compliance issues. Moreover, since Congress is responsible for allocating USAID’s funding, they could step in through legislative action or hold hearings to challenge the administration’s drastic cuts, especially if these cuts affect long-standing U.S. commitments to foreign aid and humanitarian assistance.
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