Thousands at USAID Begin Mandatory Leave Under a Plan to Reduce the Agency, Proposed During the Trump Administration

Beginning on Friday, February 7, 2025, mandatory leave policies took most staff members at the U.S. Agency for International Development off the job globally, with only a small fraction remaining.  At the same time, employee associations have sought judicial review in federal courts, expressing concerns over the swift changes to the agency and its longstanding global programs under the Trump administration.
Officials from the State Department and other organisations have been urging the Trump administration to permit a greater number of USAID workers to remain in their positions, even if temporarily, in order to facilitate the safe return of thousands of USAID direct hires, contractors, and their families currently abroad.
It is worth mentioning that the Trump administration will cover the contracts of all employees laid off from USAID, ensuring they aren’t left without financial support.
The remaining direct hires and contractors, along with an unspecified number of the 5,000 locally hired employees abroad, will manage the limited life-saving programs the administration plans to continue for the time being.
It remains unclear whether these reductions will be permanent or temporary, with the possibility of more workers being rehired after the Trump administration conducts a review of which aid and development programs it plans to restart.