Trump admin putting most USAID staff on leave, recalling overseas workers
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People protest outside of the headquarters for United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in Washington, D.C, on Feb. 3. Photo: Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images
Most U.S. Agency for International Development direct hires will be "placed on administrative leave globally" from 11:59pm this Friday ET, per a statement posted to USAID's site.
Why it matters: The directive pauses most programs at the agency that leads foreign aid programs and means the vast majority of overseas workers will return home within days, per the announcement and an email sent to staff that was seen by Axios.
- The action that impacts most staff based in Washington, D.C., as well as globally, comes days after Elon Musk said President Trump had agreed to shut down USAID.
- Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Monday new leadership and a potential restructuring of the agency.
State of play: Exceptions to the order on direct hires include "designated personnel responsible for mission-critical functions, core leadership and specially designated programs," per the statement and the email sent to staff.
- Essential personnel are expected to continue working and will be informed by agency leadership by 3pm Thursday.
- This forces hundreds of field staff, often with families, to pack up their belongings for themselves, and ship out unusually quickly.
- Most contractors will also see their contracts terminated, with agency officials considering "case-by-case exceptions and return travel extensions based on personal or family hardship, mobility or safety concerns, or other reasons," the statement said.
- The agency and the State Department are preparing a plan for USAID personnel currently posted overseas that would arrange and pay for return travel to the U.S. within 30 days, according to the statement.
Zoom in: The USAID website's sections were missing as of Tuesday night, with only the announcement visible on the site. Agency PDFs that had been posted online returned the message: "The source you are trying to access is temporarily unavailable."
- The USAID YouTube channel and Instagram account were both unavailable Tuesday night, while on Musk's X platform it appeared the agency's account had been deleted.
- The Facebook page was still active early Wednesday. The last update posted Friday said U.S. foreign policy plays "a vital role in fostering economic growth and stability in the Western Hemisphere" and featured a quote from Rubio's Wall Street Journal op-ed:
Zoom out: Experts have warned that axing USAID may have global health implications and it could destabilize regions where human-caused climate change is hitting particularly hard.
What we're watching: Protest organizers announced late Tuesday plans for a rally against what they called an "unprecedented, illegal, and deadly assault on USAID and American foreign assistance" that would leave "thousands of Americans jobless" and vulnerable communities worldwide without access to life-saving and essential aid.
- Democratic lawmakers including Sens. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Rep. Sara Jacobs (D-Calif.) will be among those addressing the rally at Upper Senate Park in D.C. that's due to begin 11:30am Wednesday, per a post from organizers.
- Several former top USAID officials will attend the rally, per an email from organizers late Tuesday. These will include Chris Milligan, former USAID agency counselor and the "highest ranking career Foreign Service Officer at USAID during the first Trump administration," the email notes.
Meanwhile, Senate Democrats have written to Rubio to demand answers following reports that representatives from the Department of Government Efficiency, which Musk is spearheading, accessed USAID's D.C. headquarters, American citizens' data and classified spaces.
- The lawmakers raised concern that two security officials were placed on administrative leave after denying DOGE reps access to internal systems.
What they're saying: Musk during an X Spaces discussion that began late Sunday called USAID "incredibly politically partisan" and said they had to "get rid of the whole thing" because it's "beyond repair."
- Representatives for the Trump administration did not immediately respond to Axios' requests for comment in the evening.
More from Axios...
- Scoop: Senate Dems plot USAID revenge on Trump
- Where USAID funds are disbursed around the world
- Congressional Democrats denied entry to USAID building
Editor's note: This article has been updated with new details throughout.
