Workers from the U.S. Agency for International Development (U.S.A.I.D.), recently terminated or placed on leave, returned Thursday to collect personal belongings amid the Trump administration’s abrupt dismantlement of the agency. The administration announced plans to cancel nearly 10,000 contracts and grants, affecting about 90% of U.S.A.I.D.’s operations, which primarily support foreign aid programs in developing countries. In a joint statement, Senate Democrats condemned the move as unconstitutional and detrimental to U.S. interests, while some Trump officials claimed the agency had become wasteful. Legal challenges persist as affected groups seek to maintain funding for vital services and programs.
Employees of the U.S. Agency for International Development who had been terminated or placed on leave returned to their workplace on Thursday to collect personal belongings, many still astonished by the Trump administration’s abrupt dismantling of the 63-year-old agency responsible for aid delivery.
Hundreds of employees, who just a month ago never anticipated they would be losing their jobs in such large numbers, went back to the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in downtown Washington.
Each individual was allotted a mere 15 minutes to clear out their desks.
This somber return followed a day after the Trump administration disclosed in court documents that it had completed a review of all U.S. foreign aid initiatives, resulting in the cancellation of nearly 10,000 contracts and grants, which would eliminate about 90 percent of U.S.A.I.D.’s operations.
The agency’s annual budget, around $40 billion, funds the distribution of food and medicine, disaster relief, disease monitoring, development efforts, and support for pro-democracy and civil society programs. Its initiatives have primarily focused on impoverished and developing nations in Africa and Asia.
Foreign aid constitutes less than 1 percent of the federal budget.
In a joint statement, Democratic members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee condemned the halted funding, stating that the foreign aid review — ordered by an executive action President Trump signed shortly after his inauguration last month — was “not a genuine effort or attempt at reform but instead a pretext to dismantle decades of U.S. investment that enhance America’s safety, strength, and prosperity.”
“Eliminating programs without due consideration only endangers millions of lives and creates an opening for adversaries such as China and Russia to exploit,” they remarked.
Trump officials contend that U.S. foreign aid programs have become wasteful and disconnected from essential U.S. interests. Elon Musk, who led a so-called Department of Government Efficiency in the initial assault on U.S.A.I.D., has vehemently criticized the agency, labeling it “a criminal organization.” Additionally, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has asserted, without elaboration, that the agency faced quick dismantlement because employees undermined the administration’s initiatives to assess and curtail their efforts.
Both Democrats and some Republicans argue that the sweeping cuts to federally authorized programs violate the Constitution, a central legal point in a lawsuit against the administration filed by aid organizations seeking to halt the process. On Wednesday night, the Supreme Court granted the administration a partial victory when Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. ruled that it was not obligated to meet an immediate deadline mandated by a federal judge to distribute over $1.5 billion to aid providers for completed assistance projects.
However, many significant legal and political challenges remain unresolved. In their collective statement, the Democratic senators urged Mr. Rubio — a long-time advocate of numerous foreign aid programs who has let down some former Senate colleagues by overseeing and publicly supporting the cuts — to testify before their committee.
“We expect him not only to consult with Congress but also to adhere to the law,” the statement indicated.
A gathering of supporters formed outside the Reagan building, where the aid agency’s signage had been taken down, applauding as individuals exited with their belongings. Many were in tears. Among them was Samantha Power, who headed U.S.A.I.D. during the Biden administration, who embraced distressed workers and supporters.
Due to the abrupt firing or placement on paid administrative leave of the agency’s employees, who were instantly cut off from computer systems, email accounts, and U.S.A.I.D. offices, most still had personal items at their former workstations.
An email notification sent on Tuesday informed them that they would have limited time slots on Thursday and Friday to return to their desks. In wording many found harsh and even demeaning, it clarified that packing materials like boxes and tape would not be provided, that children would not be permitted on the premises, and that costs for parking and transportation would not be reimbursed.
In what some recipients interpreted as a sign of extreme mistrust, the notice also reiterated in detail the Reagan building’s list of “prohibited items,” which encompasses firearms, billy clubs, crowbars, nunchucks, and explosives.
On Thursday, David Miliband, president and chief executive of the International Rescue Committee, stated that his organization had lost at least 39 contracts and grants.
“We now face the most difficult decisions about which services can be safeguarded and are appealing to the American public, corporations, and philanthropists to demonstrate that America’s spirit of generosity and commitment to the most vulnerable is still alive,” Mr. Miliband remarked.