A contentious battle over the dismantling of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has pitted President Trump and billionaire Elon Musk against a federal judge.
According to Daily Mail, U.S. District Judge Theodore Chuang ruled on Tuesday that the Trump administration's effort to shut down USAID was likely unconstitutional and ordered the agency to be partially restored.
The Obama-appointed judge granted a preliminary injunction that temporarily blocks the administration from continuing its rapid dismantling of the agency. He also ordered the restoration of computer systems and directed that the agency be allowed to reoccupy its Washington, DC, headquarters.
In early February, Musk's DOGE team moved swiftly to shut down USAID operations. Within days, over 2,000 employees were placed on administrative leave and barred from entering the agency's headquarters.
The shutdown continued as agency signage was removed from the building and employee email accounts were deactivated. By late February, staff members were given mere minutes to collect personal belongings from their offices.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who was appointed as USAID's acting head, announced earlier this month that 83% of the agency's foreign aid contracts had been canceled. The remaining contracts would be transferred to State Department control.
In his ruling, Judge Chuang expressed that the administration's actions likely violated the Constitution in multiple ways. He noted that Congress had explicitly established USAID as an independent agency.
According to Judge Chuang's opinion:
The Court finds that Defendants' actions taken to shut down USAID on an accelerated basis, including its apparent decision to permanently close USAID headquarters without the approval of a duly appointed USAID Officer likely violated the United States Constitution in multiple ways.
The judge emphasized that the hasty shutdown harmed both the plaintiffs and the public interest by depriving elected representatives of their congressional authority regarding the agency's fate.
President Trump quickly denounced the ruling during a Fox News interview, calling USAID a "whole big scam" and criticizing the judge's decision as harmful to the country.
Throughout the past two months, Musk has repeatedly attacked USAID on social media platforms, labeling the agency as "evil" and demanding its closure. The billionaire's DOGE team played a central role in executing the rapid dismantling efforts.
The court order marks another setback for the administration's attempts to reduce federal spending and shrink government operations. Similar judicial blocks have previously impeded other components of Trump's agenda.
Judge Theodore Chuang's ruling has temporarily halted the Trump administration and Elon Musk's DOGE team from further dismantling USAID, declaring their accelerated shutdown likely violated constitutional principles. The decision requires partial restoration of the agency's operations and headquarters access following weeks of aggressive measures that included mass employee furloughs and contract cancellations. The case will continue as current and former USAID employees pursue their legal challenge against what they argue was an unconstitutional attempt to eliminate an independent agency without congressional approval.
