Trump administration sued over 'illegal' move to disband USAID
Kyiv • UNN
Labor unions have filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration over its attempt to dissolve USAID and furlough 10,000 employees. The plaintiffs argue that the president's actions are unconstitutional and will lead to a humanitarian catastrophe.
The Trump administration has been sued for its move to dissolve the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and the unions representing employees in the lawsuit called the action "unconstitutional and illegal," UNN reports citing Axios.
Details
The lawsuit, filed in federal court on Thursday, seeks to block attempts to put most of USAID's 10,000 employees worldwide on administrative leave by Friday evening and resume currently frozen funding and operations.
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The lawsuit, filed in the District of Columbia, names President Trump, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who was recently appointed acting administrator of USAID, as defendants, claiming that their actions led to a humanitarian disaster.
"None of the defendants' actions to dissolve USAID" has received congressional approval, according to the lawsuit filed on behalf of the American Foreign Service Association (AFSA) and the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE).
Elon Musk, who heads the Trump administration's DOGE team, which is dedicated to reducing waste and saving money, accused USAID of corruption, waste, and said they had to "get rid of it all" because it was "not recoverable.
However, the lawsuit says that "Trump's actions to dissolve USAID exceed presidential authority" and "only Congress can decide to dissolve or merge with the State Department.
The lawsuit claims that the humanitarian consequences of the administration's actions "have already been catastrophic," resulting in "a global humanitarian crisis due to the sudden halt of critical work by USAID employees, grantees, and contractors.
The lawsuit says that this costs "thousands of American jobs" and "jeopardizes U.S. national security interests.
The lawsuit also states: "USAID provides life-saving food, medicine, and support to hundreds of thousands of people around the world. Without a partner agency to carry out this mission, U.S.-led medical clinics, soup kitchens, refugee assistance programs, and countless other programs would immediately cease.
"The Trump administration's attack on USAID is part of a coordinated campaign to undermine the will of Congress and isolate America in the world," said Skye Perryman, president and CEO of Democracy Forward, which filed the lawsuit with Public Citizen Litigation Group.