Trump lays off over 1K USAID staffers, puts hundreds on leave

Washington: The Trump administration said Sunday that it was placing all but a fraction of staffers at the US Agency for International Development on leave worldwide and eliminating at least 1,600 US-based jobs.

The move was the latest and one of the biggest steps yet toward what President Donald Trump and cost-cutting ally Elon Musk say is their goal of gutting the six-decade-old aid and development agency in a broader campaign to slash the size of the federal government.

The move comes after a federal judge on Friday allowed the administration to move forward with its plan to pull thousands of USAID staffers off the job in the United States and around the world. US District Judge Carl Nichols rejected pleas in a lawsuit from employees to keep temporarily blocking the government’s plan.

“As of 11:59 p.m. EST on Sunday, February 23, 2025, all USAID direct hire personnel, with the exception of designated personnel responsible for mission-critical functions, core leadership and/or specially designated programs, will be placed on administrative leave globally,” according to the notices sent to USAID workers.

At the same time, the agency said in the notices to staffers that it was beginning a reduction in force that would eliminate 2,000 US-based jobs. A version of the notice posted later on USAID’s website put the number of positions to be eliminated lower, at 1,600.

The administration gave no explanation for the discrepancy. USAID and the State Department did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment.

The cuts mean many of the Washington-based staffers who are being placed on leave would soon have their positions eliminated.