A judge has temporarily stopped US President Donald Trump’s plan to place 2,200 USAID employees on paid leave. The ruling came just hours before the plan was supposed to take effect.

Temporary Restraining Order

Judge Carl Nichols issued a "very limited" restraining order. This was in response to a lawsuit filed by unions challenging the leave plan, which was set to begin at midnight on Friday. USAID employs about 10,000 people, with two-thirds working overseas. The status of the rest of the employees is unclear.

Trump’s Plan and the Court’s Ruling

Trump’s plan would have kept 611 employees working. Meanwhile, officials started removing USAID signs from the agency's Washington, D.C., headquarters. Trump has repeatedly criticized USAID, calling it a waste of taxpayer money. His administration has been targeting federal agencies to cut government spending.

Unions’ Lawsuit

Two unions, the American Foreign Service Association and the American Federation of Government Employees, filed the lawsuit. They represent USAID employees. The judge indicated he would issue a written order later. The unions are waiting for more details on how the ruling will affect employees. For now, it seems that over 2,000 unionized employees are protected from the leave plan. Around 500 USAID staff members are already on leave.

Legal Arguments

The lawsuit argues that Trump’s actions are unconstitutional. It claims, “Not a single one of defendants' actions to dismantle USAID were taken pursuant to congressional authorization.” The lawsuit states only Congress can dismantle the agency.

Trump’s Claims Against USAID

Brett Shumate, representing the Trump administration, told the judge that Trump believes USAID is corrupt. Shortly after taking office in January 2017, Trump signed an order halting foreign aid until funds were vetted. This led to a stop-work order at USAID, which manages health programs in 120 countries. Trump posted on Truth Social: “USAID IS DRIVING THE RADICAL LEFT CRAZY. THE CORRUPTION IS AT LEVELS RARELY SEEN BEFORE. CLOSE IT DOWN!”

Global Impact of USAID Cuts

Samantha Power, former USAID head under Biden, criticized the cuts. She called them “one of the worst and most costly foreign policy blunders in U.S. history.” USAID’s budget is about $40 billion, or 0.6% of the U.S. government’s total budget of $6.75 trillion. UNAIDS executive director Winnie Byanyima warned the cuts would have severe global consequences. She stated that AIDS-related deaths could rise by 6.3 million over the next five years without funding.