International Edition: Attempt to Dismantle USAID Blocked by Federal Judge

A federal judge temporarily blocked the move, siding with unions that argued the action was unconstitutional and required congressional approval.

The Newsie Project is an experiment using AI tools to survey contemporary reporting. It attempts to summarize, compare, and contrast the reporting of the major US online news sources.

In this post, I attempt a first survey of reporting from international news sites on recent US news.

Photo: AFP via Getty Images

Overview

• Date: February 7, 2025

• Topic: Trump Administration’s Attempt to Dismantle USAID Blocked by Federal Judge

• Summary: President Donald Trump’s administration, with support from Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), attempted to put nearly all USAID employees on leave and recall overseas staff as part of a larger plan to dismantle the aid agency. However, a federal judge temporarily blocked the move, siding with unions that argued the action was unconstitutional and required congressional approval. While the ruling prevents 2,200 workers from being placed on leave, the future of USAID remains uncertain. Critics warn that shutting down the agency could lead to humanitarian crises, while supporters argue the move aims to eliminate waste and corruption.

Sources

• BBC: Judge pauses Trump plan to put thousands of USAID staff on leave

• Al Jazeera: USAID places staff on leave, recalls personnel overseas

• The Guardian: Doge v USAID: how Elon Musk helped his acolytes infiltrate world’s biggest aid agency

• The Independent: Judge puts brakes on Trump’s plan to fire USAID workforce hours before midnight purge

• Der Spiegel: US development agency - Federal judge stops release of 2,200 USAID employees

Key Points

• A federal judge issued a temporary restraining order blocking Trump’s attempt to place 2,200 USAID employees on leave.

• Trump and Musk’s DOGE initiative aimed to dismantle USAID, citing alleged inefficiencies and corruption.

• USAID employees and unions argued that dismantling the agency was unconstitutional without congressional approval.

• Humanitarian organizations warn that cuts to USAID could lead to widespread suffering, including increased HIV/AIDS deaths and food shortages.

• The ruling only applies to the 2,200 union-backed workers; other staff and funding remain at risk.

Unique Highlights

• BBC: Reported that USAID signs were removed from headquarters, highlighting the symbolic nature of the agency’s dismantling.

• Al Jazeera: Confirmed that USAID personnel posted overseas were ordered to return within 30 days.

• The Guardian: Exposed Musk’s direct involvement, reporting that he personally demanded access to sensitive USAID data and threatened to call in U.S. Marshals.

• The Independent: Provided firsthand accounts from employees, detailing how pregnant workers were stranded abroad and critical food aid was disrupted.

• Der Spiegel: Quoted Samantha Power, who called this move one of the worst foreign policy blunders in U.S. history.

Contrasting Details

• BBC and Der Spiegel emphasized the humanitarian consequences, whereas Al Jazeera focused on the Trump administration’s justification for the cuts.

• The Guardian detailed how DOGE operatives infiltrated USAID, while The Independent highlighted the immediate impact on employees.

• BBC, The Guardian, and The Independent described it as an unconstitutional power grab.

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This is an evolving project. Tools, approaches, and output formats will change over time. The Newsie Project does not attempt to provide a definitive capsule of any news story. While the incidence of errors in these summaries is low, and I attempt to spot-check details, AI tools can hallucinate. Please click through and read the articles for details (some may be paywalled).