Most USAID workers placed on leave, Trump administration says

Most USAID employees will be put back on administrative leave by the Trump administration beginning midnight on Sunday.

Some 2,000 employees will also be laid off in a “reduction in force” effort, the Office of the Administrator said in an email to employees obtained by CBS News, the BBC’s American news partner.

The move comes weeks after President Donald Trump initially attempted to eliminate thousands of USAID employees, but the firings faced a legal challenge.

A federal judge had temporarily halted the administration’s plan to gut America’s foreign aid agency, but ruled on Friday the pause would not be permanent.

The notice to employees clarifies that “designated personnel” responsible for critical functions or in leadership will be exempt. It’s not clear how many employees have been deemed critical.

Judge Carl Nichols ruled on Friday that the Trump administration could continue its plans to get rid of staffers, dismissing pleas from employees to stop the government’s plan from moving forward.

The announcement marks the latest in a string of moves from the Trump administration to reduce the federal workforce and cut costs.

That effort is being led by billionaire Trump adviser Elon Musk who over the weekend tasked millions of bureaucrats with listing their accomplishments from the week.