The largest union representing US government employees and a leading foreign service association have filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, demanding to overturn what they call an illegal dismantling of the US Agency for International Development (USAID).
The lawsuit, filed Thursday in federal court by the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) and the American Foreign Service Association (AFSA), argues that President Donald Trump’s decision to freeze US foreign aid and dismantle USAID is unconstitutional and has triggered a global humanitarian crisis.
Among the named defendants are Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. However, the lawsuit devotes significant attention to Elon Musk, who has played a key role in executing Trump’s broader plan to reduce the federal government’s footprint.
According to the lawsuit, the abrupt orders from the State Department halting USAID projects, coupled with the agency’s computer systems going offline and widespread staff layoffs, have led to immediate consequences.
“The humanitarian consequences of defendants’ actions have already been catastrophic,” the plaintiffs stated. “USAID provides life-saving food, medicine, and support to hundreds of thousands of people across the world. Without agency partners to implement this mission, US-led medical clinics, soup kitchens, refugee assistance programs, and countless other programs shuddered to an immediate halt.”
The lawsuit highlights that Trump’s executive order on 20 January—his first day back in office—halted all foreign aid. The administration is now planning to retain fewer than 300 employees out of USAID’s 10,000-strong workforce, according to sources cited by Reuters.
Musk, a close ally of Trump, has spearheaded efforts to dismantle USAID under his “department of government efficiency” initiative. His influence over the process has raised alarm, particularly after a post on X (formerly Twitter) where he boasted about the agency’s destruction.
“Spent the weekend feeding USAID into the wood chipper,” Musk wrote, a statement that the lawsuit presents as evidence of reckless disregard for the agency’s critical mission.
Musk has also fueled misinformation campaigns about USAID’s spending, promoting a false claim that the agency paid Hollywood actors $40 million to visit Ukraine. Official records disproving Musk’s claims were removed from the agency’s website, along with nearly all of its publicly accessible history.
“Not a single one of defendants’ actions to dismantle USAID were taken pursuant to congressional authorization,” the lawsuit states. “And pursuant to federal statute, Congress is the only entity that may lawfully dismantle the agency.”
The agency’s shutdown has left $340 million worth of food aid stranded and disrupted global health programs, including efforts to fight malaria, HIV, and tuberculosis.
Atul Gawande, a surgeon and former USAID global health leader, highlighted the severe impact in a post on X:
“Kids with drug-resistant TB, turned away from clinics, are not just dying – they’re spreading the disease. People around the world [with] HIV, denied their medicine, will soon start transmitting virus. The damage is global.”
He also shared a quote from a veteran foreign service officer:
“Our government is attacking us. This is worse than any dictatorship where I’ve worked.”
Former USAID Administrator Samantha Power echoed these concerns in a New York Times opinion piece, warning that dismantling USAID plays into the hands of US adversaries:
“I am not surprised that the attacks are being cheered by Moscow and Beijing,” Power wrote. “They understand what those seeking to dismantle the agency are desperate to hide from the American people: USAID has become America’s superpower in a world defined by threats that cross borders and amid growing strategic competition.”
The lawsuit argues that Trump’s executive actions violate his constitutional duty to faithfully execute US laws. The plaintiffs are seeking an emergency court order to restore USAID’s funding, reopen its offices, and block any further dissolution orders.
The White House, State Department, and Treasury Department have yet to comment on the legal challenge.
As the legal battle unfolds, aid workers, diplomats, and human rights advocates warn that every day without USAID’s operational capacity puts millions of lives at risk across the globe.
About Author
Leave a Reply